Memories (Request)
by Kayori Aechaa
Summary: Uchiha Madara, the clans prodigy and soon to be one of the most feared warriors in shinobi history, was just a boy at that age. At that age, he thought training was the only other importance in his life despite family, until he met her. [Rating M for upcoming violence in future chapters.] - IN PROCESS OF BEING EDITED. :)
1. I

**Hey there!**

 **So this is a request from a friend and not a user, so in order to protect her identity (she's EXTREMELY paranoid), I'll call her... STUPOR. LOOL (she's going to kick my arse when she reads that ;o)**

 **Yeah, so 'Stupor' decided that in her recent binge-reading the Naruto manga all the way up to the very last Shipudden chapter, that she wanted a Madara Uchiha short story done for her. Since she's helped me in the past, I figured this was the least I could do for her. :)**

 **Please note, I absolutely LOVE the depth of Madara's character, and will try to convey it as much as possible but if he happens to go a little OOC, please don't mind. ;)**

* * *

 **MEMORIES**

 **I**

 _ **Otokagami**_

* * *

It was an unusually chilly morning during the summers that a young Madara and Izuna began their early morning routine of a spar before bathing and eating. The two would continuously challenge one another in some form of fake search for dominance; Madara always being the one to come out on top. However, Izuna never left their training without a bloodied smile upon his face.

Madara had always felt a soft pang in his chest at the thought of his brother's love and devotion, thankful that he still had that bond to live for. He knew that it was his duty to help raise Izuna since his parents and elder siblings were all gone, and would eventually obtain his goal as head of the clan.

Once he was the clan's leader, nothing would ever harm his family again.

He would make sure of that.

It was on that particular morning however, that something else also caught his undivided attention.

A young girl to be exact.

At the age of eleven, Madara had no intentions of following along with the other clan's children with foolish crushes and picking on the opposite sex. To be honest, he'd never really given much thought to eventually picking a suitable partner for himself to claim as his wife. He would sit and watch the boys parade around either teasing the girls or simply banter with one another to show dominance in order to attract a particular female.

To Madara, those boys were foolish.

Izuna never agreed with his elder brother's outlook though. He himself found a young lady he felt some for of connection to, but left his feelings in the shadows in order to devote his attention to his pessimistic elder brother.

During his usual routine after Madara was finished sparring with Izuna, he would would down to a small river dividing two piece of land. It was later discovered to be the only boarder between the Uchiha and the Senju lands. Many times had the young Uchiha prodigy come to this specific spot to find himself alone instead of meeting his friend Hashirama, but today as he neared their usual spot, he heard an unfamiliar feminine voice and what sounded like panting.

Letting curiosity get the better of him, Madara used the large trees to his advantage and eventually was behind the one closest to where this stranger was. As he peeked around, he notice that his assumptions were correct that this person was definitely a young girl.

From what he could tell, they were alone in the woods.

She was of average height for her age (to which Madara assumed was roughly about his, maybe a year or two younger) and she was built on the petite side with fair skin. From what he could tell, her clan colors were a darker blue and purple, but she had no crest nor an emblem anywhere on her clothing to indicate where she belonged. She had unusually long hair for someone her age, letting her thick mahogany tresses loose almost falling passed the lowest part of her back.

Madara admitted to himself that in contrast to the girls pale skin and from what he could see just at the angle he was in behind the tree, the color suited her.

However, it was the young girl's eyes that caught his immediate attention. A deep sea blue, they were.

To Madara, it was the most beautiful blue he'd ever seen.

Her slouched posture suddenly straightened up as her shoulders heaved slightly as she drew in deep breaths to calm her breathing.

"Man, I'm never going to get better at this stupid shuriken throwing business," She muttered to herself, "It doesn't matter how much I try, I still can't catch up to my brother!"

Madara watched as the girl gripped her hair and let out a frustrated sigh.

 _She must have been at this for a while now_ , Madara mused, _She's covered in sweat and dirt..._

Despite her frustration, he watched as the girl reached for the bag on the ground to her left and pulled out a few more shuriken before returning to her slouched stance as she stared at the tree a few yards away from her already littered with an assortment of ninja tools.

Madara observed the girl for quite some time as she relentlessly threw shuriken after shuriken with such force, finding himself wishing to critique and correct her for her pore stance. Perhaps if he gave her a lesson, she would get the technique?

Without a seconds hesitation, Madara finally made himself known and stepped into area for her to finally notice his existence.

She noticed his figure approaching out of the corner of her eye and gave a startled yelp as she quickly turned around to face him, arm poised and ready to fire an onslaught of weapons should he approach too close.

"Who are you and what do you want?" Her sea blues narrowed at him only slightly, "How did you find me here?"

Madara couldn't help but grin, "I come here every day to train too, so you're actually in _my_ usual spot."

The girl scoffed, "This is a forest," She stated in an annoying _matter of fac_ t tone, "This isn't just _your_ place to train, it's anybody's."

Twitch.

"So," She didn't relax her posture, "Going to answer my questions, or just stand there and stare all day?"

He felt his temper rise as he watched this unusual girl before him spew out her words with no mind to whom he may be, "My name is Madara," He saw the girls eyes widen only a fraction, "And I was going to say it was nice to meet you, but then again, you're kind of a bitch!"

The girls face flared red, "Excuse me?!"

Madara smirked, "Did I strike a nerve? Well excuse me, but that attitude of yours isn't any better in comparison to that lame shuriken ability you have there–"

It was out before he could catch himself, and he immediately regretted his words as he watched the girls face fall. Her posture became slack and she almost looked defeated, lowering her weapons and letting out a deep sigh.

"So you were watching me after all," She looked to the side to avoid his eyes, "If you're just going to throw low-blows at me to try and hurt my feelings, don't bother. My father constantly compares me to my brother and puts me down, so I don't need to hear it from a boy I just met."

Madara felt his chest tighten slightly but he brushed it off, "I didn't mean what I said."

"Tch, year right," The girl scoffed.

"Really," Madara pressed as he frowned, "But hey, since we're on the subject... I could always show you what you're doing wrong?"

Once again, he seemed to anger the girl before him.

"What? You think that just by watching me that you're better than me?!" She bellowed angrily, "You know, just because you're a guy and all doesn't mean a damn thing."

Another twitch.

"Would you calm down?! I just want to help you, not stand here and bash your skills!" Madara angrily spat back, "Jeez, it doesn't matter what age you are," He paused and propped his hands on his hips, "You females are just difficult."

Sea blues narrowed at him once again as the girl prepared to retort, but felt herself stop as she recited his words in her mind once more.

"What do you mean you want to help me?" She asked through gritted teeth, attempting to control her red-head temper.

Madara met the girls eyes and, being the bigger person, offered her a (somewhat) soft smile, "I noticed that your posture is hindering your ability to properly aim for your target, so I thought I would help you or at least give you pointers to help you kick ass at the shuriken jutsu!"

 _Maybe now she'll get that twig out of her ass and be nice for a minute_ , Madara mentally sighed.

He watched as she thought over his offer and was eventually met with what he perceived as a tiny smile, "Fine, you can help me," Her finger shot out as if to point him out for wrong doings that never happened, "But no funny business, you got that?! I might not be the best at the shuriken jutsu, but I'm one of the best in my clan at taijutsu so I'll kick your ass!"

Madara couldn't help the smirk that crossed his lips, "Oh really?" He chuckled and approached her, "I'm rather skilled at taijutsu myself, so maybe we could spar one day?"

Once the two were side by side, Madara quickly picked up a few of her fallen shuriken from the ground and prepared to show her his own personal form and techniques. He could feel her eyes on him the entire time as he got into proper form, before gracefully and precisely throwing all of the held shuriken towards the tree.

Much to the girls wonder, she watched as they all hit the targets right in the middle in a straight line, not one out of place.

"Wow..." Was her only form of a compliment.

Madara straightened out before turning to her, "You're too hunched over and don't seem confident in your ability," She stiffened only slightly as he walked behind her, "It doesn't just take awesome skill to be good at these things, but you need to have confidence too."

She felt her cheeks flare red as Madara's hands gently took hold of her lower arms, shifting them into proper place while her body leaned into the position he himself was just in. Once satisfied, Madara stepped to the side and smiled at his work.

"There," Madara grinned, "Give it a try now!"

The girl blinked at his sudden change in mood before concentrating on the targets a head of her. Inhaling deeply, she poised herself before letting her flurry of shuriken go. She felt her breath hitch in the seconds that it took for the weapons to make contact with their target, and it was in those seconds that a miracle happened.

Each shuriken hit the target spot on.

Her eyes went wide, "I... I did it?" She shook her head and grinned, "I did it!"

Madara watched as she celebrated her sudden success, before clapping his hands a couple of times.

"Nice job!" He grinned, "If you keep up that practice, I'm sure you'll beat your brother in no time!"

She turned to look at him and finally offered him a smile, "Thanks..." She lifted a hand and extended it towards him, "Sorry for being such a cow earlier. I just got angry because of family matters, so, sorry for taking it out on you."

Madara looked down at her hand before clasping his own around hers, "No worries."

They stood their for a moment just looking at each other releasing their hands. It was the blue-eyed beauty to speak first.

"It was nice meeting you but, I should go."

Madara would have lied to himself if he didn't register that tiny jab at his stomach when she mentioned leaving.

"Will you," He paused, suddenly at a loss for words, "Be here tomorrow?"

She looked at him and slowly nodded, "Probably."

Madara grinned, "Maybe we can spar then? See who is actually the taijutsu master?"

"Yeah," She mirrored his grin before picking up her weapons pouch and turning on her heel, "Bye, Madara!"

Madara watched her as she began to disappear into the woods when realization struck him, "Hey, wait!" He called out, "You didn't tell me your name!"

She was gone before his words could even be heard.

 **.oo(~*~)oo.**

For three days, Madara thought of the nameless kunoichi. For three days, he felt the irritation building up inside of him because she wouldn't leave his mind in peace.

For three days he visited that spot, with no sign of his mysterious friend appearing again.

Izuna caught on to the fact that Madara was distracted and constantly pestered him with questions as to what had Madara so focused, but was met with a scowl and no words.

"You know," Izuna would say, "If it's a girl that's bothering you, you can tell me. I won't laugh at you."

"It's not a girl!" Madara would reply angrily, "I'm just thinking of new ways we can test our abilities, that's all!"

On the fourth day, Madara became unbearable to be around. Not even Izuna could stand him for long periods of time. Word seemed to spread around to the other Uchiha children, and soon whispers regarding Madara were catching his younger brother's attention.

"Did you hear? Madara's finally got his attention on a girl," One would say, "Whoever really caught his eye must be something special!"

"Yeah! He's finally decided that someone is good enough for him!" Another would say.

A group of younger girls would circle around one another and gossip over the idea of being with one of the two brothers, often giggling madly or becoming angry when another would stake claim on the elder brother.

By day five, Izuna had enough and judging by how fierce his attacks were as they sparred, he figured Madara was at his peak as well.

"Madara," Izuna found him by the spot where they trained currently in a seated in a meditative position, "You finally going to spill and tell me what's on your mind?"

Madara peaked one eye open at his brother before closing it again, "Nothing's bothering me, brother."

"Bull," Izuna laughed, "Come on, spill! I know you better than that, Madara!"

With an aggravated sigh, Madara pushed himself up off the ground and began walking away, only to have himself cut off by his younger sibling. He felt his brow twitch.

"Izuna," Madara growled, "If you don't back down, I'll–"

" _You'll_?" Izuna taunted with a grin, "Beat me up? Come on, you and I are pretty much at the same level as far as sparring goes."

"I'm warning you, Izuna!"

Izuna suddenly smiled, "Okay, if you insist everything is okay, then I'll stop."

Madara's brow quirked at his brothers sudden change of heart.

"I want to meet her, though!"

"IZUNA!"

 **.oo(~*~)oo.**

A full week had passed since the two had met in that one particular spot, and Madara was feeling an array of emotions that he'd not once been exposed to before.

 _That girl..._

His brows furrowed at the thought of that fiery kunoichi.

She had been extremely abrasive towards him in the beginning but mellowed out after he'd helped her with her jutsu, so why did she seemingly avoid him every time he waited at that spot in the woods to train or spar with her? Had he frightened her off? Was she really that mad at him for showing her a better technique than letting herself practice something that wouldn't help her in the long run?

Madara felt like pulling his hair out at all of the unanswered questions.

Damn it, why did girls have to be so damn difficult?!

He waited for over an hour to see if the mysterious girl would show up, having only the wind and leaves as his companion. It was only when the sun began to fall towards the earth that Madara finally heaved a sigh and stood up from his perch, agreeing with himself that this would be the last time he would come here to wait for her, when he felt someone approaching.

He turned around and let his eyes scan the direction the chakra was coming from, immediately recognizing it as hers.

He felt the corner of his lips twitch as she came into view.

"Hey!" Madara greeted as she stepped into the area.

The girl crossed her arms and tilted her head, "Have you been waiting here this whole time?"

"No," Madara lied, "I haven't been here for very long."

"Okay," She grinned, "Well, since we're both here, how about that taijutsu match?"

Madara's spirits lifted as he grinned at her challenge, "I was hoping you were going to say that."

Madara got up from his spot as the two walked towards each other, their gaze never breaking. They soon got into fighting stance, each rotating in a circle around one other as to show neither would back down. They both waited patiently for the other to make the first move.

"You know," Madara grinned and began taunting her, "The kunoichi in my clan always get to attack first, so I wouldn't hold it against you if you attacked first."

The girls own grin matched his own, "Arrogance won't help you against me, Madara."

Twitch.

He was first to react.

His leg swung over her body as she dropped down to avoid his kick with speed that even impressed Madara. As a recoil, she shot up and aimed a punch towards his face to which he caught with his hand. The two danced together with a fast arrange of motions with speedy attacks and recovers, unaware of the time around them.

Unknown to the pair, two sets of eyes watched them with amusement as they witnessed for themselves what had been plaguing Madara's mind for so long.

Madara caught a swift kick towards his head before capturing the fist also aimed furiously at his person, before using his upper body strength to twist the girl around, sending her spiraling to the ground in a heap. She was quick to recover and get up, but paused to notice Madara was out of breath much like she was herself.

"Hn, you're better than I thought you would be," Madara admitted, "Never would I have imagined that you could keep up with me."

The girl smirked, "I was thinking the same thing."

The two darted towards each other and continued an onslaught of fast and furious taijutsu moves for what seemed like hours until finally the two were both knocked to the ground from exhaustion.

Her eyes glanced over Madara as she watched his half exposed chest rise and fall with each hasty breath he took, his eyes closed and his head leaned back slightly. The sweat beading down his face and neck teasingly rolled its way down onto a spot of his chest that was hidden to her, teasing her senses as to what lay beneath the dark blue clothing the boy before her wore.

She had to admit, even covered in dirt and sweat he was damned beautiful.

"You really were holding back, weren't you?" She asked suddenly, watching as his head snapped up and his eyes were locked on her, "You won't insult me if you tell me the truth. I can already tell from the way you were moving that you weren't going full out."

Madara contemplated what he should respond with as he propped his elbow on one knee, "Truthfully? No, I wasn't," He shrugged, "I won't say that I held back because I didn't want to hurt you, but I just wanted to gauge your ability before really using all of my strength."

 _He wanted to give me a chance, eh?_ She thought to herself. _Ass._

"Thanks, I guess," She slowly got to her feet and dusted the bottom of her clothing off before stretching her arms upwards towards the trees, "That match was fun, though. We should have another sparring match some other time."

Madara mirrored her and stood up, "Sure!"

He watched as she ran her fingers through her long mahogany locks to gently pull apart any knots put in during their fight, wishing he himself could touch her tresses just to see if they were as soft as they looked.

With a quick shake of his head, he put that thought out of his mind quickly but that didn't go unnoticed by her.

"Madara," She spoke, "Thanks again."

Madara blinked, wondering if he'd heard right. Why was she thanking him again?

Back at the compound, Madara cleaned himself and prepared himself for supper when Izuna slid the door open to his room. The elder brother looked over at his younger sibling and scowled, knowing by the grin on his face that something was up.

"So Madara," His grin grew with each word, "What did you do all day?"

Madara turned away from Izuna and muttered, "Nothing of interest, why?"

"Oh, so then," He was suddenly behind Madara, "Who is the pretty redhead you keep sneaking off to see?"

Madara's eyes flew open, "How did you-" He whipped around to see Izuna holding back his laughter, "You followed me into the woods?!"

Izuna nodded, "Yeah," He smirked, "She sure kept you on your toes, brother. She might even be better than I am!"

Madara crossed his arms over his chest in a huff and looked anywhere's else but Izuna's face, "She isn't important Izuna, so lay off."

"Ooouu," Izuna smirked widely, "My big, bad brother is pouting! Never thought I would see the day that you sulked, brother!"

Madara was about to leap into action by pummeling his little brother into the ground when voices from outside distracted him. Izuna heard the voices as well, and soon the two made their way to the front of the main house where they stood peeking out through a crack in the door.

In the compounds main yard, stood a clan with red hair and familiar blue and purple clothing. Madara's eyes narrowed suspiciously as his eyes scanned for _her_ , but couldn't detect her presence.

"What brings you here, Otokagami Mitaku?" Oshiro Uchiha, the current temporary head of the clan, asked with an authoritative tone.

The one named Mitaku, whom Madara assumed was the head of the clan, gave Oshiro a stern look.

"We are here to issue a complaint against your clan and will ask that you honor what I am about to say," Mitaku began, "I have word of one of your clans members meeting with my youngest child, and will not permit their meeting in secret any longer."

Oshiro's lips pulled into a tight line as his eyes briefly glanced back towards the door the two brothers currently hid behind, "Forgive me, but I had no idea one of my clansmen were meeting with your daughter."

"Am I to believe the great Uchiha clan cannot keep control over one simple boy?"

Suddenly, the air around the entire compound grew thick with tension.

"Unless your clan is prepared to either go against us in battle or to have that boy betrothed to my daughter, I want assurance that they will not meet again," Mitaku's words left no room for argument, "And seeing as how the proud Uchiha does not take outside clans women as wives, and with you knowing that appreciation from an outsider is considered courting to our clan, I believe we are only left with option one."

Through gritted teeth, Oshiro agreed and shook the Otokagami clan leaders hand before he ushered for them to turn and leave. Before Mitaku walked away with the others, he stopped and looked over his shoulder towards Oshiro once more.

"You know the unique jutsu we possess and the abilities of my men," He began, "Please don't let long-term allied clans fight against one another over something as simple as two children. I'll hope you consider my words, dear friend."

With that, the red haired Otokagami clan disappeared through the gates.

Izuna and Madara were silent as they watched what transpired in the main yard before pulling away from the door. Making their way back to Madara's room, the two shut the door but not one said a word.

"She really must be important if her clan head is coming to see Oshiro personally about you?" Izuna mused aloud, "Well, assuming that _was her_ clan."

"It was," Madara confirmed with a stiff nod of his head, "I'd know those colors anywhere."

Izuna watched his brother carefully, "So what will you do?"

 _Nothing_ was what Madara wanted to say, but what came out was entirely different.

"I will not see her again," Madara stated with a cold tone, "If I am to become head of the clan, my aspirations cannot be cut off by a woman."

* * *

 **PHEW, that was one hell of a chapter to type out!**

 **Also, I apologize if things seem to be jumping around. Since we don't really have a HUGE amount of information on how Madara was growing up other than the snippets the manga and anime have given us, I of course had to improvise!**

 **... And, seeing as how we never got see his interactions with a girl before, I decided to throw that curve ball in there too! ;)**

 **There is going to be one more chapter to this requested short story, so that should be out relatively soon! I have about a quarter of it already typed out of so I'll most likely pop it out tomorrow evening some time since I only have my upgrading course to do tomorrow.**

 **Anywhoo, if you liked the reading so far, feel free to leave a comment or even drop a request of your own by PMing me and I'll see what I can do for you! Information for submitting requests form-wise is on my page under my finished works. :)**

 **I love you all and have yourselves a wonderful day!**


	2. II

**So, because I was on a roll last night with Memories...**

 **Here's chapter two! :D**

 **Thank you to all who enjoyed reading the first half of this short story! I'm extremely happy that even though it hasn't even been a full 24 hours and already I have feedback asking for more! Despite the fact that this was just a requested story, I'm pleased that others are enjoying it as well! :)**

 **As it is, I'm on a damn roll with this story, so I may have it completed within the next couple of days. ;)**

* * *

 **MEMORIES**

 **II**

 _ **Uchiha**_

* * *

Ten days.

She sat there in her room for ten days without a sound.

After learning of the confrontation between her clan and Madara's, and after discovering he was in fact an Uchiha (as she suspected), she remained in a state of silence.

"You know, you have to come out of there sometime."

He brothers constant reminder of the outside world was the only thing that brought her back to the present, while he mind wandered to when she had first encountered the young Uchiha. With an unruly ebony mane framing his face, a tall physique and a tanner complexion in comparison to her own he was quite a sight to see. His eyes were dark and fierce with curiosity and anticipation.

What was his facial expressions telling her that day?

All she recalled was that charismatic smile and a cocky slanted grin that would grace his handsome features.

She had admitted early to herself that the boy was incredibly handsome. He had skills beyond her imagination in what little he had demonstrated to her, and easily coached her without belittling her at the same time. She wondered if he had siblings that he schooled much like her with that gentleness that set him apart form most boys his age.

His hands, however calloused and warred they may be, were soft to her skin.

He had touched her ever so slightly when he positioned her to a more proper shuriken throwing stance, but little did he know that the minuscule amount of contact from his flesh to hers sent a wave of electricity throughout her entire body.

Was this what it was like to have formed a sexual attraction?

She had been told by many of relatives daughters and nieces that when she would meet that one special ninja, whomever it may be, it would spike a reaction inside her like no other. Had that really been a demonstration of what they were referring to?

It would make sense, she would tell herself.

He did give her the indications of what she had been told, hadn't he?

The signs.

That smile that sent a shiver of excitement up her spine.

That oh so electric touch.

His brazen and outgoing attitude that flowed off him in waves made her feel at ease, not like when she was around her own family.

His smile, so gentle and seemingly pulling her in.

It was as if he had been calling to her.

Her brows furrowed at her continued thought. Would she really lock herself away knowing that she would never be permitted to see that boy again? Uchiha Madara, the boy that plagued her thoughts ever since their untimely meeting.

Despite the rules of most clans, the Otokagami was not opposed to sending their finest kunoichi to show their skills on the battle field, and that thought alone left unease in the pit of her stomach. Would she have to face Madara in battle? Would he remember her in a time where the Uchiha would become their enemy due to a feudal lords contract with a grudge against her own? Would her clan, now having confronted the famous blood thirsty mercenaries of the Uchiha, become enemies and declare war due to her foolish meeting with one boy?

Giving her head a shake, she got up from her perch and walked towards the window facing the south side of her clans home. She could already tell by the commotion outside that an issue was already beginning to rise and that they would soon be off to war, but with whom they would fight against she did not know.

"Hey brat," There was a knock at her door accompanying her brothers voice, "Come out. Father wants to have a word with you."

Her brow twitched at her brother's choice of words but sighed and resigned herself to whatever punishment her father most likely had for her, and walked out of her room in a steady pace. When she found her father, he was standing near the back entrance into the home looking out at the soldiers training for what was yet to come.

"So you finally decided to leave your sanctuary," He never sparred her a look as she slowly approached him, "I want to know what connection you have to that Uchiha boy."

She felt her stomach turn at the mention of Madara's family name, "Am I going to punished for my truth or are you already decided to reprimanding me for an innocent act?"

""Innocent act"?" He turned to face her briefly before facing the men once again, "You misunderstand my dear child, I simply wish to know what it is you see in that boy and why you fancy him so."

Her eyes averted themselves and soon she too was focused on the soldiers outside, "He found me in the woods training, that's all."

"Is that your final answer?"

Her stomach did a flip, "No..." She paused before reaching up with one hand to grasp her other arm gently, "He... Helped me with my shuriken jutsu, and then met up with me to spar."

There was a pregnant pause before she spoke once more.

"If it is my honor you feel that has been jeopardized, then you can rest assured that I am still innocent," She reassured.

Her father gave a brief chuckle before looking over his shoulder to look at her, "Is that what you think this is about?" He offered her a kind smile, "I am no fool to believe you would surrender your innocence to just any man that you met. I raised my daughter better than that."

Her heart fluttered at his compliment.

"Do you wish to see him again?"

Her father's question caught her off guard momentarily, "Pardon?"

"I asked," His brow rose, "Would you like to see that Uchiha boy again?"

 _Yes._

"I don't believe that would be appropriate for my deepening a connection with an outside clan member, father," She gave him an answer she assumed he was looking for.

She watched as he shook his head, "As stubborn as your mother," With a sigh, he finally turned to face the girl and reached out to place a hand on her shoulder, "We may be in times of war, but I will still allow you to hold on to what little freedom I can give you."

What exactly did he mean by that? She pondered momentarily before his words captured her attention again.

"We are allies of the Uchiha," He stated, "And it would not be unorthodox to strengthen a relationship by requesting the union of a person from each clan."

 _Oh my, God... This can't be happening..._

"You mean..." Her eyes widened slightly, "Marriage?!"

"Isn't that what you would want?" He asked her with a slight grin, "Or am I assuming wrong?"

 _Is he serious?!_

Her cheeks flared, "Father, I-"

"My dear, I know you better than you may feel I do," He offered a chuckle, "None of our clansmen have ever caught your attention, or at least not to the extent of this boy. I may be old and worn out, but I am still capable of reading the first stages of love in a persons eyes."

She had no response to that.

As a matter of fact, she had no idea how to respond at all.

No words came to mind even as his hand lifted itself from her shoulder, or as he turned around to walk out to join the men preparing for battle.

"We will be accompanying a battalion from the Uchiha on their journey to fight against the Senju," He took a moment to look back at her once more, "You will be expected to be ready either for war or for marriage when we return."

"But why?!" She felt rage building up inside of her, "When did that decision get made for me!"

"It was the only offer Oshiro Uchiha was willing to make in regards to keeping the peace between our clans, knowing that only the Otogakami and the Senju were their only real rivals on the battlefield," Her father answered honestly.

"He and I both came to the understanding a long time ago, before you and your brother were even born, that the union of our most promising shinobi would be a part of this union, however untalented they may be until their true potential is fully unlocked. So indirectly, this has been planned for you and an Uchiha heir since birth."

She felt her anger slowly rising.

So that's what this was about.

"So you feel that putting me with an Uchiha will make suitable offspring for war, is that it?"

He shook his head, "No. Or at least," He offered her a smile, "It wasn't my intention to pair you with his most promising boy in hopes for powerful grandchildren, despite knowing that's exactly what the power hungry Uchiha will eventually want."

"Why?" She frowned, "Why bring this up all of a sudden?"

"It's because you got the ball rolling, my dear," He stated with frightening honesty, "When you met that boy in the woods, you set things in motion."

 **.oo(~*~)oo.**

"You can't be serious?!"

Izuna stared wide eyed at the clans current head as Oshiro explained a very similar topic to the Uchiha brothers sitting before him.

He had called both Madara and Izuna early from their training to sit them down for a long talk. Not only having to anticipate how both would react to the news, he was also certain that his chosen and most promising warrior would be less than impressed to find out that there were other arrangements for him without his own knowledge.

Knowing how Madara was, Oshiro was sure the young Uchiha would take this one of two ways.

Clearly, he was taking it the hard way, much to the clan heads dismay.

Izuna's jaw dropped when Oshiro finally revealed the real reason for bringing the boys into a secret meeting in the clans main meeting room. Having had his suspicions and his own ideas, he as one of the most perceptive of all the children, never would have imagined this in all his years.

"Madara," Oshiro's brow rose, "After hearing this news, you are uncharacteristically silent."

Madara's brows furrowed, "You mean to tell me," He paused to piece together his scattered thoughts, "That this has been planned since Izuna and I were infants?"

"That is correct," Oshiro confirmed, "It has always been a long-standing debate between our clans, but was accepted as a proposition by the Uchiha head previous to me and as promised to the previous head, I agreed to honor the Otokagami and Uchiha joining as one."

Madara narrowed his eyes, "You plan to eventually link another bloodline to our pure Uchiha line? That is completely unheard of and against clan laws!"

Oshiro mentally agreed with Madara's words but otherwise shook his head, "As much as I am willing to agree with your words, Madara," Both he and Izuna straightened up, "It has already been decided. To back out now, would be considered a threat and may cause disturbance between our only allies."

"During these times of war, I can assume even you yourselves understand that allies worth trusting are hard to come by during these hard times," Oshiro sparred them both a long look, "I will not force you into this union Madara, however, one of you must be wed to the Otokagami heir and only _you_ have had a connection with her."

It was after that statement, that Oshiro made his leave.

Izuna looked at his brother and watched as several moments passed with an vast amount of emotions crossing over his obsidian eyes.

Madara sat in silence as he mulled over what had just been told to him and his younger brother.

Was this simply a coincidence, or was it a cruel prank that the higher powers were playing against him after declaring his intentions for the future of the clan?

"Madara," Izuna began slowly, "What are you going to do?"

Madara remained silent for a moment before hauling himself off the floor, "I'm going to go train," He sparred no look at Izuna before shoving the door to the meeting area open with unnecessary force, " _Alone._ "

Izuna watched Madara's disappearing form and too rose from the floor, discreetly following his brother to wherever he may be headed. As suspected, Madara and a hidden Izuna, soon found themselves in the same spot hidden by the woods on the boarder of the Uchiha and Senju lands where a particular female had been found.

Izuna smirked to himself, noticing a familiar silhouette of the very female that had been the constant companion of his elder brother's mind since their last meeting. Despite what Madara told Izuna in rage of forcing himself to forget her face, he knew Madara was incapable of erasing her from his mind.

"So, you came here as well?"

Madara froze as he looked in the direction of her voice.

 _She's here?_

"I suppose by the pensive look on your face, you were coming here for some alone time?" She asked, fully stepping into view.

Madara, who was about to confirm with her that she was right, found himself fumbling with his words. His brow furrowed, mentally slapping himself for his sudden weakness.

"Nah," He replaced the solemn look on his face with a quirked grin, "My brother wasn't interested in training with me anymore, so I decided to come and train on my own."

"But now that you're here," He quickly added, "Maybe we could have another sparring session?"

Her eyes stared at him with suspicion for a moment before offering him a small smile, "Sure."

Madara eyed her with the same amount of suspicion. He watched her carefully as she walked towards him, confirming something was off. Something had changed since the last time he had laid eyes on her.

Her whole persona was off.

Her blue eyes once fierce with emotion seemed dull and lifeless. Her body was slack and seemed to drag itself with she commanded it forward. She seemed as if she were distracted or experiencing some sort of out-of-body experience.

"Something is bothering you," Madara suddenly accused, "Feel like telling me what it is?"

Her eyes locked with his as the two got into fighting stance, "Rhetorical question."

"Ladies first," He egged on, blocking a severe kick aimed for his collar bone.

She narrowed her eyes and raged a furious onslaught of taijutsu attacks towards her companion, who blocked her without much trouble. He found it unlike her to bring such a relentless amount of strength to such early, easy taijutsu attacks that required minimal attack power.

"What's got you so angry?" He glared as she finally landed a hit, sharply turning his head to the side with the sickening sound of her fist colliding with his cheek, "Fuck, woman! Don't take your anger out on me!"

"JUST SHUT UP, WILL YOU?"

The anger in her voice cause Madara to pause. Back flipping a few feet away to safety, he took in her form as she inhaled sharply with her eyes locked on him. Those beautiful blues were filled with rage, and unfortunately for him, all that pent up anger was being expelled out onto him.

"Did you know that our families have plans for us?" She bit out sharply, "Is that why you're always so quick to change your attitude when you see me?"

 _Does she know?_ Madara narrowed his eyes, "What in the hell are you talking about? Speak clearly!"

"Marriage, Madara!" She screamed out angrily, "They want to marry us, you damn idiot!"

She did know, and that stunned both Madara and the hidden Izuna. So that clan that made an appearance ten days ago _was_ her family. Exactly how much did she know? Did her clan head tell her the same information that Oshiro told him not more than half an hour ago?

"My father told me that there's two options," She was breathing hard now in attempts to control her temper, "It's either I marry, or I face you on the battlefield. Either of which seems unappealing to me right now, given that I myself am only eleven."

Madara scoffed, "Children are married at younger ages than you an I, so that shouldn't bother you nearly as much as it seems to be," He noticed his words only aided to her aggression and decided to add in his own opinion on the matter, "Given the fact that you are aware of the situation, you most likely know now that I am an Uchiha."

Her eyes narrowed as he continued speaking.

"Our clan head also mentioned something similar to your father," Madara started, attempting to sound more level headed than he actually was at that moment, "Although he never mentioned it would be _you in particular_."

She scoffed, "I'm the only female born to the Otokagami, so of course I would be the only choice."

"How the hell was I supposed to know that?!" Madara bit back angrily, "For all I know, you could have been a daughter to a side branch to your clan! Hell, I don't even know your name for that matter!"

During this exchange of words, Izuna watched the intensity as the two stood facing one another not making a move to close the distance to continue their taijutsu training. He could tell that the idea of marriage was an uncomfortable topic for the two, knowing full well that Madara was strongly against having a wife hinder his rise to head of the clan. From his observation, this mysterious girl shared his elder brother's opinion.

"I'll have to fight you," She suddenly said, "If we don't marry, I'll eventually have to fight you."

Madara's brow rose, "We're allied clans. You and I will never oppose one another on the battlefield."

"You don't know that," She growled.

Madara shook his head, "I do, because when I become clan head, I won't allow our clans to clash against one another," He stated with confidence, "Or will we be arranged to marry without our own consent! It will be different than what it is right now!"

The confidence in his boast made the Otokagami girl falter slightly, leaving her only able to barely nod at his outburst.

"Please," He suddenly held his hand out to her, "Try to hold out just a little longer," Madara crossed the distance between the two cautiously, "I will do what I can to hold off on this ridiculous marriage proposition between our clan heads, but I can't do it all on my own. So I'm asking you, to please have faith in me and try to hold on until I am clan head."

Her eyes drifted from his extended hand, along his arm and up to his face. He had such determination in his eyes that she could do nothing but smile, reaching her own hand out to place it in his. It was their silent agreement, a bond that Madara would cherish and see to it that she was not disappointed.

"Thank you."

He narrowed his eyes in annoyance, "Why do you keep thanking me?"

Her shoulders lifted and dropped in a shrug, "You really do seem like someone I can put my faith into," She was suddenly closer to him than he wished her to be, "And I thank you for that."

His eyes widened and his cheeks burned as she used her free hand to reach up and gently touch his cheek, causing Madara's body to freeze instantly and lock into place. He never moved in the slightest as her fingers caressed his cheek with such a tender affection, that he felt his body internally melting into her touch.

Slowly, she leaned up towards him eventually having to balance herself on her toes to match his height, and closed the distance between the two.

Madara's heart began to race as he watched her face come closer and closer to his that his breath hitched in his throat. His palms became sweaty and his mind raced with anticipation. He had never felt a woman in this close proximity, that his own scent mingled with her own. Her aura penetrated his own defensive barrier, and the tingles that caused made Madara feel an incredible excitement.

Izuna, from where he was hiding, swallowed hard as he watched what he believed was soon to be his elder brother's first kiss. It was hard to believe that this one girl, capable of catching such a determined aspiring ninja's attention, had such an effect on him that Izuna was physically able to see with his own eyes the reactions going through Madara's mind.

Her lips soon found their way to his ear as his long dark tresses licked at her face, tickling her nose. Madara inhaled sharply, making no attempt to push her away as her chest pressed into his own for balance.

"Kayuki," She whispered, "Kayuki Otokagami."

In the blink of an eye, she was gone and only Madara remained in silence, left to muddle over what had just happened to him.

He struggled to regain control of himself, inhaling an exhaling deeply to steady his breathing and to help slow down the rapid beating of his heart.

 _Her name... She finally told me her name._

* * *

 **So, this isn't as long as I was hoping it would be, but I figure it's satisfactory!**

 **Despite wanting to keep Madara in his own character, I really did have to tweak him a little bit to match how he would most likely have been in this type of situation faced with a young woman that he (not admitting to himself, of course) was attracted to.**

 **To my dear Stupor (you're going to kill me for calling you that, I know you are) who requested this, I've decided to do you a favor and make this a chapter or two longer, seeing as how the development is increasingly interested as I type this out. You can thank me later ;)**

 **As always, I love you all very much! New readers, returning readers, it matters not who you are! :)**

 **Thank you as always, and I will see you in the next chapter! ;D**

 **... Which by the way is already being typed as I post this... XD**


	3. III

**Hey guys!**

 **So... Yeah... Another chapter in one day! Woooooooo! :D**

 **Stupor, you love me aside from using that as an alias, don't you?! :D -puppy eyes-**

 **Warning, this chapter is going to be LONG, and have A LOT in it.**

 **Also another warning, I posted this particular chapter without doing a very thorough edit, so if there are mistakes I will catch them and change them tomorrow once I'm done with school. ;)**

* * *

 **MEMORIES**

 **III**

 _ **Choices**_

* * *

"This is the tactical approach, especially concerning the fact it is the Senju we are up against."

Madara, leader of the Uchiha in his early twenties dressed in black with red armor, hovered over a map of the Land of Fire with his fellow commanders as he continued to point out strategic places for the Uchiha forces to either attack or defend against the Senju.

Izuna, now barely nineteen and second in command to his elder brother, folded his arms across his chest clothed in white and nodded to his brothers words as he absorbed all that was said.

"What of the clan aiding the Senju?" One of Madara's generals, Mifune Uchiha, inquired hesitantly, "I heard a rumor that it is the Otokagami clan that is assisting them in this war."

Madara narrowed his eyes only slightly, not quite expecting to hear _that_ clan name.

It had been five years since the head of the Otokagami clan was killed in war, and since then, their contribution in aiding the Uchiha had slowly diminished to none. He himself had not laid eyes on a single being with that name since the last time they fought by his clans side, and was somewhat surprised that they suddenly pulled out of the shadows.

"How big are their forces?" Madara looked at Mifune, locking him in place with his Sharingan ablaze, "Do you know what reason they have to fall so low as to join forces with the Senju?"

"Unfortunately it is only rumor, sir," Mifune answered honestly, "However, I did catch wind that a woman is the new clan head."

 _Could it be?_

Izuna narrowed his eyes and carefully watched Madara's expression, now masked by indifference as he guided his attention back to figuring out a strategical approach with the new found information.

"We will go forward as if the rumor is true," Madara suddenly said, "And double the forces heading to the front."

He straightened up and faced all of his generals, whom also straightened their posture in respect for their leaders position.

"Back when the Otokagami aided us in battle, they had particularly unique abilities that seemed to bolster our own fire style jutsu," Madara began, "They are also incredibly adept at breaking genjutsu, even as strong as our own. We must proceed with caution and taken them out before they are able to mow down our own forces in the front line, no matter how many of them there is."

As Madara instructed his generals for what they will do with their battalions, Izuna stood behind Madara and watched him with the same carefulness as he did that day he watched Madara act like a normal human boy instead of the brilliant tactician of war standing before him.

 _I wonder..._ Izuna tilted his head to the side, watching Madara's generals bowed their heads respectfully before exiting the tent to relay the orders.

 _If it is her, I wonder if Madara will strike her down or if she will be the one to act first._

"Izuna," Madara's voice broke him out of his silent reprieve, "I know what you are thinking, and since this is war, I will not let past feelings cloud my judgement."

Madara turned to face his younger brother, who was usually the less logical when it came to making emotional decisions no matter how devoted he was to his elder brother. Izuna grinned and shrugged his shoulders, dropping his arms to his side and let out a heavy sigh.

"She really was beautiful," Izuna murmured, "It will be a shame to have to face her in battle, but I figure that if we do see her, I'll leave her to you," He walked forward and placed a hand on Madara's armored shoulder, "You have that much respect in you to kill her quickly and painlessly, right?"

Madara eyed him carefully but made no move to brush him off, "I will do what I have to do," His Sharingan eyes narrowed only a fraction, "You know that."

"I know," Izuna chuckled and shook his head, "I was only being my usual pessimistic self."

Izuna quickly exited the tent and left Madara alone to his thoughts, leaving his last statement to flood through Madara's mind like water rushing down a fall.

The elder Uchiha looked down at his gloved hands and narrowed his eyes.

Madara, a well-known and feared warrior, leader of his clan, suddenly felt a wall of feelings come crashing down on top of him. It was something he buried along with his own heart long ago, having come to terms with the fact he would not be able to uphold his promise to the one girl he fell in love with. Unlike his brother, she held his heart in the palm of her hands from the day she told him her name. She had been his anchor from that day on, even after he discovered the dark history and truth to the Uchiha lineage.

Despite all of this, he had severed his bonds and all memories tying her to his heart once he discovered the head of the clan had been killed in battle not long after he himself returned with his own force. It was later found out that the Otokagami clan had fallen apart, leaving his mind to open speculations on what had happened to her, making it even easier to place himself in a world void of love and emotion.

To be honest, he told himself that she had died on the battlefield.

However, this rumor of a woman leading the newly resurrected Otokagami clan made him realize that there was a chance her fears from back then would come to pass.

Would she be leading her clan forward in defence of those damned Senju?

Could he bear looking into those beautiful blues, knowing full well that he himself may cause the brightness to dull into empty pits as he drained the life force from her body with the penetration of a weapon?

Madara shook his head in attempts to clear his mind, belittling himself for letting himself have such a moment of weakness at such an important time.

The Uchiha army was minutes away from departing on a two-day journey to where the battle would begin; Madara had no time for such distractions.

"Commander!"

Madara's eyes shot towards the entrance to the tent as he turned to face one of his lower levelled soldiers, who immediately dropped down on one knee to bow his head in respect as he held out a rolled piece of what looked like parchment wrapped with a single navy ribbon.

 _It can't be._

"This was delivered by a shinobi with unusual blue eyes," The soldier stated as Madara took the rolled paper from his hand, "I know nothing else, only that this was to be delivered to you directly."

Shortly after dismissing the soldier, Madara quickly looked over the parchment to see if there were any paper bombs. After deeming it safe, he quickly pulled the navy ribbon loose and let it fall to the ground as he unrolled the stationary in his hands. His eyes quickly scanned the contents, recognizing the feminine strokes each kanji displayed.

 _Well Madara, your reputation exceeds my own of you at this point. You did as you said you would and became a fierce leader of your people, but now what?_

 _~ K_

His eyes narrowed at the simple lines written on the parchment.

Was she taunting him? It was what was written at the very bottom in small text that shook even his heartless core into realization.

 _You lied._

So simple, and yet with such a huge impact.

Angered, Madara's eyes spun wildly as the parchment in his hands was set ablaze. He would not show weakness! She was merely a woman, a shadow of his past!

Gritting his teeth together, he quickly picked up his giant metal fan and scythe before securing them into place on his back and strode out of the tent with a fierce look in his eyes.

"We leave at once!"

 **.oo(~*~)oo.**

"Are you sure you are ready for this?" A young Hashirama looked at the beautiful kunoichi standing beside him, "This is your first war as general, and putting aside the fact most men disrespect your authority as a woman, I am willing to lend you more assistance should you feel you need it."

Kayuki shook her head and looked at him, "I will be fine. I am a lot more proficient than you think I am, Hashirama."

"I am speaking about _him_ , miss Kayuki. Will you be able to face him the same as I? As an enemy of war?"

 _Madara._

Her eyes narrowed into furious blue slits as she looked down at the table, her fists clenching at her sides as they shook with rage.

 _You bastard..._

"I will be more than capable of taking him on, and will not show weakness," She stated flatly, "Do not doubt that I am a commander of my entire clan, and know what has to be done."

Hashirama, having spotted his former best friend and the girl standing beside him in the woods long ago, watched her with sympathy flooding his eyes. He felt sorry that these warring times and the unfortunate circumstances that happened to her clan before their recovery had changed her.

He remembered the smile she used to give Madara, seeing it returned with the Uchiha's own bright one mirrored back at her.

They were happy back then, and now look at them.

She was a product of the times they lived in, only making his resolve for peace to fall in the Land of Fire more strong.

If he wouldn't do it just for his clan and the future of the Land of Fire, he would do it for them.

"It's time, sir," Both sets of eyes looked forward as a general from the Senju armies approached them, "We have word that the Uchiha armies have begun to move, so it is important we match them in order to keep the upper hand."

"Upper hand?" Kayuki's eyebrow rose.

Hashirama dismissed the soldier before looking down at the girl as he straightened out, "The Uchiha are unaware of the fact that you have rebuilt your forces, and will be joining our side on the battlefield."

 _I highly doubt that would slip Madara's notice._ Kayuki nodded slowly before picking up her magnificent beast of a sword, swinging it over her shoulder to lock the belt across her chest and followed the Senju leader out of the meeting area. The two walked to their respective generals and issued the orders to leave with their teams, watching as the generals nodded and obeyed their commands.

Hashirama turned his attention to Kayuki as she stepped forward to lead her own handful of shinobi when his hand reached out to catch her shoulder. Her blue eyes narrowed slightly as she looked back at him, annoyance clear on her face.

"I'm not a child, Hashirama," She grit out, "So what is it you have to say now?"

He offered a sincere smile, "Just be careful when you use _that_ technique, okay? I know you're the most gifted at your family's jutsu, but it still can take a severe toll on the one who uses it."

After a moments hesitation, he expression softened ever so slightly, "Forgive me for my rudeness, Hashirama..."

She gently shrugged his hand off and he watched as she walked away from him, leading a mixture of his finest clansmen and her own off towards the battlefield. A small sigh escaped the great Senju leader, knowing full well that there was a strong probability that his greatest fear would come to fruition.

 **.oo(~*~)oo.**

"Sir! The Senju have engaged our troupes to the West," One of the Uchiha foot soldiers running information back and forth to the generals called out as he made it to the meeting area, "The soldiers to the East are faring rather well and are able to offer assistance should the word be given."

Madara looked at the man and nodded, "Send word to Izuna to send a small group to aid those to the West battalion, and to inform him that I will be making my move and leading my soldiers to the front as soon as we're ready."

"Understood, commander!"

Madara quickly finished dispersing his orders to the remaining men and soon rounded the table with his own troupes at the ready, "We leave now!"

"Sir!"

Meanwhile to the East, Izuna read over instructions from the feudal lord who had hired their forces, disposing of it once he was finished and dismissed the man who had brought with him Madara's orders. He made haste to dispatch the assistance to the West, sending several of his best along with some mediocre men to follow.

"Captain Izuna!"

Izuna turned to see one of his generals, Dotuuro approach quickly, "They've been spotted! The ones you warned us about, the Otokagami!"

"Whereabouts are they?" Izuna's brows furrowed, "Have they made an attack or is it still the Senju forces leading the assult?"

"They haven't made their move yet, but I don't feel quite right about them not attempting to attack," Dotuuro informed, falling into stride with Izuna as he walked towards the boarder of their stronghold, "There was no sign of that woman you mentioned for us to keep an eye out for."

"No, I didn't think she'd make an appearance here," Izuna smirked, "She's waiting for Madara to make his move so she can beat his cocky ass down and beat some sense into his thick skull."

Dotuuro remained silent before grunting, "I am at no measure to make a comment to that, sir."

"You can, it's alright," Izuna chuckled, "Despite this being a war where we are fighting our former allies, I know my brother well and when he sees her, even that proud bastard will fall short of words."

"Do you think she will take advantage of his weakness?"

Izuna looked at him, "It's not a weakness," He corrected, "It's more like... Knowing she was the one and letting his pride replace his heart."

Dotuuro nodded as Izuna continued his short spiel.

"As you know, our greatest fault is when we fall in love," Izuna looked out towards his men readying to head back to the battlefield, "Madara is no exception to the rule, as much as he categorically denies it. When he realized he was the one who would eventually lead to the distrust and hatred us Uchiha are bound to, he severed that tie and closed himself off to those who were not his clan."

"I see," Dotuuro frowned, "Captain, may I ask why you are telling me this?"

Izuna offered him a grin, "You're my most trusted general, and I consider you a good friend," He admitted, "So I guess that's why I'm telling you."

"Do you think something will happen when they meet on the battlefield?"

Izuna shrugged, "Who knows, but my bets are leaning towards a 'yes'."

 **.oo(~*~)oo.**

Kayuki looked down at the three lifeless bodies of the Uchiha she had recently subdued and sighed. Even now, on the side of the Senju, she still perceived that bastards clan as allies. She told her men not to kill them, and to use one of their techniques to put the Uchiha under a state of comatose.

"Captain," She didn't look back as one of her comrades approached, "We have intel that the main Uchiha forces are headed for us right now."

Kayuki nodded slowly and looked forward, "Very well, lets go then."

She led her group towards the front lines where several of the Senju and her own clan were already stationed as they waited for the Uchiha to make an appearance. She walked towards their commanding general and stopped.

"I'll be taking on Madara," She told the man with a tone that left no room for argument, "I am the only one strong enough aside from Hashirama to hold up against him in combat of ninjutsu and genjutsu, so to avoid unnecessary casualties, I don't want any interference from any of your clansmen, am I understood?"

The man stood there and stared before reluctantly agreeing, signalling to his men that they were to stand down when they spotted the leader of the Uchiha.

It wasn't long before one of their scouts spotted the red-eyed mercenaries fast approach, letting everyone know to be ready.

"Alright men, this is it!" The Senju general bellowed loudly, "Whether man or woman, we will not fall to those Uchiha shinobi!"

The shinobi behind the general and Kayuki screamed with glee at the generals words, bringing the spirits up if only slightly.

"Here they come!"

The Senju and Otokagami sprung into action and quickly matched the Uchiha as they ran for each other, eventually clashing in a fierce fight against one another. Kayuki glanced over and noticed her troupes remained true to their orders and simply put their opponent in a state of sleep once able to, feeling a sense of satisfaction well up in her at the sight.

Then, she spotted him.

Like a warrior God dressed in black with a unruly mane of long ebony hair behind him, Madara leaped into the air and came crashing down in the middle of thirteen men, quickly making a mockery out of their attacks only using his incredible speed paired with his intense taijutsu.

Kayuki's eyes narrowed as she darted for him, passing several enemy Uchiha on the way until finally he spotted her. He too, focused his attention on her, using his enhanced speed to quickly close the distance and engaged Kayuki in the strongest battle of taijutsu she'd ever experienced.

 _He's gotten faster, and a hell of a lot stronger than before..._

Kayuki was barely able to dodge a kick aimed at her legs that was meant to incapacitate her, as she recoiled by flipping in the air aiming her own kick at his chest to distance herself from him. Madara easily blocked her footwork with his arms, immediately sprinting forward to harshly embed his fist into her armored stomach.

Kayuki winced as she recovered fast, managing to connect her knee to his jaw sending Madara's head sharply spinning to the side. She heard him grunt loudly as he reached for her, grabbing her by her waist and using an enormous amount of strength to send her crashing down to the ground, pinning her down with his knee and upper body weight. Quickly grasping her wrists, he held them above her head and narrowed his blazing eyes down at her, enraged that even now, she didn't struggle.

"Is this how you greet an old friend?" Kayuki spit at him harshly.

Madara snarled at her and pressed her wrists into the hard ground, "Am I to believe your alliance with the Senju is a more favorable greeting, Kayuki?"

"So you remembered my name," She whispered more to herself than him.

Madara's stone-line grip never faltered as he took in her matured face.

When she came into the clearing, he immediately noticed her body had matured for the better. Her waistline was trim, her breasts were noticeably fuller and her long legs carried her with the speed of an elite. As she fought against his comrades, he noticed how she gracefully dodged all attacks and made to attempts to fatally hurt his clansmen. Her long red hair would dance behind her as she moved, catching in the breeze as she would pass by an ally.

By the Gods, she was a stunning sight.

When her bright blues locked onto his blazing crimson ones, he momentarily lost the breath in his throat.

 _This is war, you bastard! Don't lose focus!_

"Why did you do it?" Madara narrowed his eyes down at her, "Why did you betray my clan?"

Kayuki met his furious gaze with her own, "It was _you_ who made the first move, when the orders were given to annihilate my family!"

Madara was taken aback by this comment, "What? Don't be ridiculous! I would have never allowed such an order to pass!"

"Like I believe that, you lying, selfish bastard!"

Madara stared down at her with such intensity, it burned into her memory for life.

"You think I betrayed you?"

It was as if time itself froze as the warriors around them continued to battle, while Madara remained on top of Kayuki, keeping her pinned beneath him as she looked up at him with a scornful look in her eyes.

"You did," She growled, "I waited for you to fulfil you promise to me, and when you rose to power, you gave the order to cut loose ends and get rid of us-"

"I would never betray you!"

Kayuki stared up at him, stunned at the fierceness in his gaze. His eyes held such passion in them, she felt her resolve crack as he tried to make her believe his statements.

"When I took the seat as head of the clan, I had every intention of keeping my word!" Madara exclaimed, "It was not I that gave that order!"

"Your family slaughtered my father!"

Madara froze, "What are you-"

"My father died on the battlefield by the hands of your men!" Kayuki began to struggle against his grip as she repeated her words angrily, "You gave the orders! The men who managed to escape said it was _you_ who gave the order!"

Madara watched her but never lessened his grip on her, "Damn it, woman!" He growled in frustration as he inhaled sharply to calm his inner rage at her accusations, "I did not give that order!"

"Prove it to me then!" She screamed at him, "Show me proof that it wasn't you!"

Madara took her words to heart and moved his hands so that he clasped her wrists in one gloved appendage as he used the other to grasp her chin roughly, forcing her to meet his eyes as his Sharingan began to spin.

"So be it."

 **.oo(~*~)oo.**

 _"Hey Madara, what's with the droll stare?"_

 _Madara looked up to see a grinning Izuna, knowing full well he was aware of why he was in this mood. The day after Madara was seated at the head of the clan, he arranged for changes to be made immediately to right the wrongs that Oshiro Uchiha had believed were the best decisions during his reign._

 _"What do you want, Izuna?" Madara muttered._

 _Izuna blinked and smirked, "My, my! What temper!" He hopped down from his perch and walked around a seated Madara, "You know, I could summon for her?"_

 _Twitch._

 _"She's supposedly still untouched and available, too," Izuna's smirked widened, "Just the way she was when you last saw her."_

 _Another twitch._

 _"I could always go and personally retrieve her-"_

 _"ENOUGH!" Madara shot up and snarled at Izuna, "I do not want to hear anymore about that woman!"_

 _Izuna held his hands up in surrender, "Okay! Okay! Jeesh, calm yourself, brother," He sighed, "A man that is seated at the head of the clan needs to know how to control his emotions!"_

 _Madara brushed him off and briskly passed by him, only to have Izuna trail behind like an annoying adolescent._

 _"If you don't want her, I could always ask for her hand-"_

 _SLAM._

 _Izuna coughed as Madara held him captive against the wall, Sharingan blazing with anger._

 _"No one will touch Kayuki Otokagami but_ me _," He warned, "Understood?"_

 _Despite his predicament, Izuna grinned, "Fully understood! I'm just glad you finally admitted it out loud."_

 **\- o - o -**

 _"Have you heard the news, brother?" Izuna approached Madara with caution, noticing his rigid posture, "The Otokagami were attacked."_

 _"I'm aware," Madara managed to grind out through clenched teeth, "Where there any survivors?"_

 _Izuna knew who Madara was really referring to, but made no comment, "I'm afraid I can't say, but it looks like there wasn't any survivors, no."_

 **\- o - o -**

She's dead.

 _Madara paced around his personal chambers as he ran his hand through his black tresses. He tried to find something to anchor him due to this sudden news. Anything he could grasp onto broke under his anguish as he struggled with internal emotions._

 _He_ loved _her._

 _But he had not been man enough to claim her when he had the chance. His clan had taken priority, and now he realized his mistakes with no future of retribution._

How can I redeem myself in the afterlife to her?

 _It was that moment, that he closed off his heart. He would show no emotion to no other than his own brother and clansmen, but no other woman would take her place._

 **\- o - o -**

 _Madara watched his men as they trained under his harsh scrutiny. They were to prepare for battle in a few short days, so he would make sure none of the soldiers were to fall due to weakness._

 _"Don't you think you're being a little too harsh on them?"_

 _Madara glanced back over his shoulder towards Izuna, "Were you able to gather any information regarding the Otokagami massacre?"_

 _"Ignoring my questions again, are you?" Izuna gave a dramatic sigh before he stood beside Madara to watch the men below train, "Lord Mitaku wasn't just killed during war, nor was his clan just randomly attacked, they were assassinated," He paused when he felt Madara's eyes on him, "And by one man, too."_

 _Madara's gloved hand gripped his clothed arm tightly, "Do we know who is responsible?"_

 _"Not yet, but when I find out," Izuna glanced at him, "Do you wish for me to act in your stead or would you like me to bring the guilty bastard to you?"_

 _"I want him brought here, so that I can repay him for taking something precious of mine away," Madara whispered menacingly, "He will know fear and pain before I end his miserable life."_

 **\- o - o -**

 _"We found that assassins location," Izuna entered Madara's private training area abruptly, "But he is severely wounded and may not make the trip back here to the stronghold even with a huge amount of medical ninjutsu."_

 _Madara, who had been fighting his own shadow clone, punch his clone hard enough to make it disappear, "Excuse me?" His eyes shot over to Izuna as he straightened out, "Who the hell wounded him?!"_

 _"I don't know, but whoever it was, made sure he would suffer," Izuna replied, "He is severely poisoned and wounded beyond repair. The medical ninja I had with me said from what he could tell, the man sustained both ice and fire injuries."_

What?! How is that possible!

 _Madara snarled, his Sharingan spinning in rage as he walked to Izuna, "Bring that bastard to me. I want him even on his last hair's breath."_

 **\- o - o -**

 _After the nameless assassins death, Madara felt no semblance of relief to his pain and inner turmoil. He felt as though no recovery was made due to avenging her clan, and despite not being able to take that man and make him suffer, it felt as though he was captured and given a mercy kill for nothing._

 _He did not fear death, knowing it would eventually befall him._

 _He did not beg for his life._

 _He smiled._

 _That bastard smiled as Madara stared down at him with his Sharingan activated, ready to put him through a brutal genjutsu for the remainder of his life until the poison claimed victory, killing the man that was on his knees before the Uchiha head._

 _For two days and two nights, Madara remained alone in his chambers while Izuna took over his role to allow his elder brother to heal._

 _Madara would pace his bedroom for hours on end, his hands running through his tresses as if to ease the headache that would not dissipate. Along with the pain in his head, his heart ached. He understood now what the Uchiha tablet left by his superiors meant by experiencing the real pain of losing a loved one._

 _He had not known much about her, nor did he know much of who she was other than those few encounters, but damn it hurt._

 _He thought about the possibilities that they could have had, or how the clans would have behaved once joined together forever._

 _A marriage to the Land of Fire's most formidable shinobi, Madara could have protected her from death itself._

 _He would have given her the world, had she asked him to do so._

 **.oo(~*~)oo.**

When Kayuki snapped out of the genjutsu, she felt her entire body lock her down to the ground like she had been crushed by lead. How could she have been so blind? Her anger had forced her to believe what information had been shoved into her hands, and had so easily blamed the Uchiha for their betrayal.

How could she recover from all of this? How could she redeem herself in the eyes of the man above her, watching her ever so carefully.

Madara patiently waited for Kayuki to make a sound, waiting for her to wake completely from the jutsu. He had revealed to her his most weakest time, and also the complete truth about what happened between the so-called Uchiha slaughtering the Otokagami.

Suddenly, her sea blues began to water as she struggled underneath him.

"Madara, I-"

"Don't apologize," The harshness to his tone made her breath hitch, "It is unbecoming of a kunoichi of your status."

Slowly, Madara released her wrists and lifted himself away from her. Only when she sat up did she notice the two were alone in that very spot where they had first met. Had he brought her here for a reason?

"You plan on killing me, don't you?" Kayuki stood up, not bothering to look at his handsome face, "We are now enemies at war. It would only make sense if you were to bring me here to end my life."

Madara gave a light scoff, "As tempting as it would be, no, I did not bring you here to kill you," He turned to her and began walking towards her, "Sentimental, is it not?"

"What do you mean?" Kayuki's body moved on her own as the powerful Uchiha warrior walked towards her, forcing her to take a step back with each of his steps forward.

"I brought you here, to the place we first met," He paused, using his enhanced speed to pin her to a tree before caging her between his arms as he braced his hands against the cold bark, "Because I felt as though you and I could use a sense of relief from this nostalgia."

Kayuki looked up at him and studied his eyes. Those red, bottomless orbs bore down on her with such intensity, she almost had to look away.

"Don't be afraid to look at me," Madara forced her attention back on him when her eyes would shift ever so slightly, "Although currently you are allied with the Uchiha's fiercest enemy, I do not see you as one."

"You trust me despite the fact that I could betray you here and now?" Kayuki bit back.

Madara let out a throaty chuckle before leaning down towards her, "My dear Kayuki, you wouldn't attempt to kill me," His lips were centimeters from her own.

Kayuki's breath hitched, "What makes you so damn sure of that?"

She could taste his breath on her lips, and smell the very sweet, musky laden smell of war that made him a man.

Slowly, hesitantly, she reached up to touch his face much like she did the very last day she saw him. Madara's reaction was immediate, as he relaxed when her fingers touched the bare skin of his cheek. There was a moment where time stood still, as he pressed his forehead to her own and simply relished in the gaze of her blue orbs.

It was that moment, that Kayuki cupped the other side of his face with her other hand and closed the gap between them.

Their lips fit perfectly together as they stole one each others first kiss. His own velvety ones moved against her own without much demand, however dominant he was during their reunion. Kayuki soon fell into a blissful oblivion as Madara deepened their kiss, eagerly engaging her inner cavern to expose itself for the taking while he danced with her in a way only he ever could.

It was breathtaking.

Pulling apart for a short second in order to catch their breaths, Madara sealed their lips together once more in a more passionate, needing kiss where Kayuki could feel just how much the man against her missed her. She feverishly kissed back with as much emotion as he, not holding back what years of desire had built up as she conveyed it through this heated lashing of tongues and searing touches.

It made the very pits of her stomach ache with sadness, knowing that this may be their last kiss ever shared.

When they pulled apart, their eyes locked while they regained their breath.

How beautiful her blues looked so close up.

His Sharingan eyes burned into her mind as a beautiful waterfall of crimson, something she could stare at forever.

It was selfish, really, how much Kayuki had wanted this man once she understood what a man and woman were capable of during a moment of passion. Many nights did her mind drift to the thoughts of her underneath him, writhing and screaming his name in a delicate bliss as he claimed her like no other. She would dream of herself being beside him after many sessions of passion, just simply laying in his arms staring up into his eyes.

He, too, felt the similar pull as he touched her now.

How cruel life was to them, even for them to be selfish during such a wrong time.

"You have a chance to save your people, Kayuki," Madara pulled away only slightly, "Surrender to the Uchiha, but not out of defeat. We will recreate the peace treaty and I will personally make sure that no one makes a mockery out of our clans once more."

As tempting as his words sounded, Kayuki was not one to betray her comrades.

"I can't," She slowly spoke, using a soft tone never once used before, "I..."

Madara's brows furrowed in agitation, "Why?"

"I promised..." Kayuki couldn't look at him, no, she wouldn't look at him as she revealed her reasons why, "Hashirama... I would not bid against him. He wishes to continue with his dream to build a place where no more children have to see war as we have growing up, and I plan to help him see his plans through."

Madara narrowed his eyes, "So you would join him instead of me?" He pulled away as he continued to stare her down, "Was that kiss not a confession of your true feelings? Or am I to believe that was all a senseless ploy to distract me from crushing the Senju?"

"Madara, I have been told by Hashirama what your goals were along with his, but this world does not need one supreme leader," She tried a gentle approach, "If you would only sit with him and talk instead of using fists and bloodshed, then senseless wars would not need to be fought!"

"And then what?!" Madara flew into a rage that frightened her right down to her bones, "You would betray me for the Senju leader?!"

Kayuki narrowed her eyes, "Is that what you think this is? You think I'm in love with Senju Hashirama, and that is why I choose to follow his goals?"

Madara was left on the ground stunned as Kayuki used all the strength in her body to propel her forward, tackling him to the ground as she straddled his waist. Her blues bore down on him as she glared at him furiously.

"I will only say this once so you best listen you cocky Uchiha bastard," She snarled, "I follow Hashirama's dream for the future peace between nations it will bring. Not because I love him, you damned fool!" She cupped both of his cheeks in her hands once more, "Can't you see? I've been in love with you from the very beginning, and now here you are, doubting me to the very end?!"

Madara snarled up at her, using her anger as a distraction to get the upper hand and soon had her beneath him once more. He used his body weight to pin her legs and torso down while his hands held her wrists, stopping her from struggling against him.

"I know you're in love with me," She looked up at him as she spoke, "Don't let your jealousy and hatred towards your friend cloud your judgement, Madara. Use your head, not your heart."

Madara was furious now, but Kayuki wasn't backing down even with her unfair advantage.

"Shall I talk to you like we did once before?" Kayuki suddenly closed her eyes, "Throw the actions of fists and rage?"

Before Madara could utter a reply, his body pushed back and was flying through the trees in order to avoid the flames that spiraled in a vortex around Kayuki as she began rapid hand signs.

"Otokagami Fire Style: Dragon Spear Jutsu!" Kayuki screamed, as the fire spinning around her formed sharp spikes that headed straight for Madara.

 _Fire style, huh?_

Madara, having weaved his own hand signs, easily counteracted her fire style jutsu with his own but was caught off guard as the flames disappeared to reveal pointed shards of ice.

 _Ice?!_

Kayuki smirked, "My clans fire style is unique," She called out to him, "It is not only fire, but ice as well!"

Sharingan searching everywhere, his eyes caught sight of what looked like a mirror as he landed on the side of a tree, using the speed and strength in his legs to push off the tree back in the direction of Kayuki.

"Crystal Style: A Thousand Dimensions jutsu!" Kayuki suddenly called, slamming her hands down on the ground causing thousands of crystal's to erupt out of the ground at rapid pace.

Madara easily evaded any and all crystals as he neared the girl, poised and ready for a taijutsu assault when she suddenly vanished as he landed heavily where she once stood.

 _I see._ Madara's eyes quickly scanned the area, locking onto her chakra as she drifted from tiny crystal to tiny crystal. _She uses the crystals much like jumping through a mirror._

"If that's how she wants to play," Madara muttered to himself as he activated his Mangenkyou Sharingan, "Lets see how you handle the true power of an Uchiha!"

Kayuki froze as she watched blue flames engulf Madara, eyes wide as they formed what looked like a skeleton made of those blue flames around him.

 _It can't be..._ Her eyes narrowed. _Susano'o._

Madara crossed his arms over his chest and looked towards where her chakra was, "I will give you this one chance, Kayuki," His eyes never left the spot where he knew she was, "Surrender yourself to me, or you will leave me with no choice."

 _That **arrogant** son of a-_

In a flurry of motions, Kayuki weaved hand signs and forced all of the crystals she had summoned to combined until they were three inch thick shards that were immediately enshrouded with red flames and blue ice.

 _Lets see if the Susano'o is as impenetrable as the legends say._

Madara was left to watch as she sent her crystals hurdling towards him, quickly absorbed by his Susano'o on impact. Kayuki narrowed her eyes and muttered, attempting to shape the crystals in into another form and tried the same attack again only to have the same results.

"Damn it," Kayuki growled.

"I told you to surrender," Madara looked right at her as she materialized back into plain view, "My Susano'o cannot be blocked, nor can it be penetrated. This is your last chance before I make my move, so choose wisely."

 _It seems I have no choice..._

Kayuki suddenly jumped back several feet as she weaved different signs than what Madara was used to. His brow rose as he watched her, curious to see what she would do.

"Otokagami Style Forbidden Technique: Crystal Shatter Jutsu!"

Once again, thousands of crystals pulled out of the ground only this time, surrounding Madara and his impenetrable shield. His eyes remained on Kayuki as she brought one hand to cover her right eye, and used the other to create a single hand sign.

 _That's-_

"SEAL!"

Crystals from all directions spiraled around the Susano'o as they formed a layer against the burning chakra. Madara narrowed his eyes as he watched, but soon found himself growling as the crystals completely covered the Susano'o, forcing it to disappear. He quickly looked over to a now panting Kayuki, as she smirked watching him look around in disbelief.

"That technique, was what made our clan so formidable," Kayuki breathed heavily, "That, and our ability to manipulate and combined two chakra natures to form another."

Madara scoffed, "Impressive that you are still able to stand after using that forbidden jutsu," He took a stance that signaled to Kayuki that he was about to attack, "But now that you're out of chakra, how shall you defend yourself against me while I still have a lot in my reserve?"

Her shoulders shook as she laughed to herself, "I can't, and you know that," Her body shook as she willed herself to remain standing, "I hate the kickback of this jutsu. Damn numbness is already flowing through my body."

In an instant, Madara was on her. Her body hit the ground with such force that the wind was completely stolen from her lungs sending her into a coughing fit. His knee pressed into her lower stomach as he readied himself to take the final strike above her, hand raised and poised for the killing.

Kayuki just looked up at him, "Do it," Her eyes never blinked, "I'd rather it be by your hands than by another."

Madara froze.

"Why would you," He narrowed his eyes down at her, "Surrender so easily to me when you could still try to fight me off?"

"As I said, this jutsu's only drawback is numbness," Kayuki explained, "It takes over the body and renders the body incapacitated for a prolonged period of time."

Madara faltered, leaving himself open for attack should Kayuki retaliate.

"Do it," Kayuki repeated, "Let me live in your memory or choose your own path once I help see Hashirama's dream through."

Madara's brows furrowed, "Why do you still agree with him even now?!"

"Because I believe in a time where we shinobi won't have to fight against one another," Kayuki smiled, "I believe in both of you."

* * *

 **AND DONE. LOOL**

 **Well, done this chapter at least.**

 **There will be one more chapter, and that will wrap things up now that I have officially turned this into something it wasn't supposed to be!**

 **Damn you Stupor and your pushing for even a small amount of romance!**

 **Anywhoo, I love you all and hope you enjoy the fact I've furiously updated this. LOOL :D**


	4. IV

**Well, my darling requestee, I hope you're happy with what you've read so far! :)**

 **For all of those who have read and favored this, as well as my three reviewers _susl_ , _Arianna Le Fay_ and _Reign_ , thank you so much for your love for this story!**

 **This chapter will most likely be a little confusing, but it will all be explained towards the end. :)**

 **And by the way, this chapter will be LONG. Saved the longest for last!**

* * *

 **MEMORIES**

 **IV – _Final_**

 **Senju and Otokagami  
Madara's Final Wish**

* * *

Kayuki looked out to the wilderness as she sat on the edge of a silent lake, enjoying the sound of the gentle breeze dancing with the leaves of the trees. It was peaceful, much like she had longed for during those hardships of war.

Konohagakure was what this place came to be known as.

The Village Hidden in the Leaves.

It was Madara who had come to name this village despite it being primarily founded by the Senju, but even after Hashirama's and Madara's whicked clash in what was now known as _The Final Valley_ , Hashirama allowed the village to keep its original name.

Out of respect, he would say, for my closest friend who was like blood to him.

A year had passed since Madara passed on, although Kayuki was insistent that the great Uchiha was still alive somewhere even if he were injured and weak.

Her current lover, however, refused to speak of it and made the subject of it a taboo.

"You've been travelling to this spot for days now," A voice from behind her startled her, "Still reminiscing about the past?"

Kayuki looked back over her shoulder to see her companion, Tobirama, approach her before taking a seat close to her.

It was Madara who had stolen her first kiss, was her first intimate lover, and had shown her what passion truly was. But in the end, he had let her go for power, telling her that he would not bring her down that dark road where he could not promise her her safety. He had let her go knowing he could no longer love her the way she deserved to be, and so it was two years later that she accepted Tobirama's hand in marriage, much to Hashirama's extreme excitement.

It was ironic, really.

The union of the Senju and the Otokagami had been announced for all the lands for celebration, meaning that much to both Kayuki's and Tobirama's dismay, it would be a huge celebration instead of being village festivities.

Kayuki smiled at the fair skinned man, "You know this is my favorite spot," She felt his hand close around her own and relaxed at the gentle touch and endearing gesture, "We should be married here, Tobirama."

"I agree with you, but unfortunately you know my brother and his wife are both planning the ceremony," He sighed, running his thumb over the top of her hand, "So any ideas you may or may not have are void."

"Oh, your brother is a giant push-over," Kayuki smirked, "I'm sure you could just give him _that look_ , and he'll bend."

Tobirama gave her a halfhearted glare, "You make it sound as though I am ferocious animal."

"He seems to think you are when you get serious," Her eyes narrowed as she poked his cheek with her free hand teasingly," Which is almost all of the time."

With a roll of his red eyes, Tobirama looked out to the water and allowed himself to relax.

It had taken a while, but Kayuki had eventually fallen in love with the Hokage's younger brother. In some ways, he reminded her of her dark knight, but in others Tobirama was something that she had never imagined.

In the weeks leading up to his proposal, he spent his private time with her and would converse about the future of the village, and about what changes he would make once his brother abdicated from the title of Hokage and would allow him to take the seat. It was his intense care and dedication to not only his family, but to the entire village that caught her attention first.

And those eyes, not blazing quite like the Sharingan, but still beautiful and captivating in their own way.

It was the way his red eyes would shine whenever he spoke of something he was passionate about, they would light up with a fire that could not be extinguished.

Much like Madara's had once before the incident occurred.

"If you are having second thoughts," Tobirama began slowly, but was silenced by Kayuki's hand clamping his mouth shut.

Her sea blues glared up at him, "If you bring up cancelling the wedding one more time, I swear to the holy and unholy powers surrounding us that I will beat the shit out of you," His eyes shined with amusement at her threat, "Got it?"

Tobirama pulled her hand away from him and leaned forward, "And if I should continue only to prompt this so-called beating out of you?"

"Then I guess I would have no choice," She grinned, "You said it yourself before, that there was nothing more frightening than a woman that was on a rampage."

A squeak escaped her mouth as Tobirama pushed Kayuki onto her back, his usually empty, bottomless wine colored eyes boring into her own with unfiltered amusement, "Perhaps that means I should disarm you first, before you can make the first move?"

His lips caught her own in a gentle kiss, enticing a soft sigh from the girl below him.

It was his profound gentleness with her that was also what captured her heart, having always been handled with such fiery passion with Madara.

Truth be told, she would miss the way Madara's hands would roam her body with a demanding, possessive way. When he would take her to the highest levels, his obsidian eyes would lock on her own as she screamed his name, only verifying what he already knew.

Madara had eventually claimed her as not only his woman, but as a possession.

That was the beginning of the end.

"I believe you've become a bad influence on me, my dear Kayuki," Tobirama laid beside her to save her from bearing his entire weight, gently running his fingers through her long auburn locks, "You've turned me into a compassionate, gentle man."

Kayuki reached up and lightly cupped his face, running her thumb just below his eye, "Don't give me all the credit. Your brother was determined to make sure he changed that disassociate, stern attitude you have on day."

"I can't help it if I am able to set aside my feelings and become indifferent whereas he is more willing and more compromising than I," His eyes closed as he savored her touch.

She watched him and couldn't help but smile, "You're too modest."

"How so?" His brow rose.

"You're confident, but when you're compared to your brother you get defensive," She poked his nose, "It wouldn't kill you to admit that there's a side of you, no matter how minuscule or how hidden it may be deep inside, that wishes you were like Hashirama, and could be open with your feelings," Her smile widened, "But I guess that's why I like it so much when you only leave that display for me."

Tobirama remained silent and thought over her words, "Perhaps I spoil you too much."

"Hmm, perhaps," Kayuki agreed, "But while we're on the subject of comparison," His eyes narrowed slightly down at her, "You _could_ try easing up on the control, or even letting other people win at arguments and be right once and a while- _AH!_ "

Tobirama's fingers mercilessly tickled at her sides, "What was that?" The corner of his mouth quirked up into a tiny slanted smirk, "I don't believe I heard you that well."

"T-Tobirama, stop!" Kayuki gasped as she giggled madly, "You big cheat! You always tickle me when you don't like the conversation topic!"

He felt her hands clasp around his wrists in attempt to pull them away but he continued his assault, "Can I be blamed for wanting a diversion? Seeing as how you feel the need to point out my flaws."

Once he decided the woman below him had enough torture, Tobirama pulled away and watched her as she inhaled deeply to regain her breath. Her eyes were half lidded and perspiration began beading slowly on her face and chest due to the closeness and the already rising heat of the day. Due to the laughter or perhaps even the fact his body was pressed into her own, the apples of her cheeks were dusted with a light crimson. Auburn hair fanned out around her wildly due to her wiggling underneath him, framing around her giving her lovely glow that complimented the paleness of her skin.

Despite everything, she still had a smile on her face.

To him, seeing her like this gave him no greater pleasure, knowing she felt safe enough around him and believed in his ability to protect her to allow herself to freely be herself.

He watched her for another moment before leaning down and claiming her lips in a more intense kiss than before, using his hand to cup the side of her face to hold her in place. She responded instantly, reaching up to lock her arms around his neck while she played with his snowy tresses gently.

Not that Tobirama would ever willingly admit to himself, but being so close to Kayuki, he finally understood why the Uchiha was so drawn to her and so easily fell in love with her.

She had a sort of unique, unusual sense of kindness and understanding for individuals who were different, or simply required a finer touch than most others. Her open personality just pulled you in like a force telling you that she would accept you for who you were, and not judge you for what you were or were not. It was the reason why most people found her to be more accepting than even the Hokage himself.

A once in a lifetime person, and he counted his lucky stars that she chose him above of all her choices.

Like his brother before him said when he married Mito Uzumaki, if he could do her proud, it would be his life's mission completed to see the smile on her face.

 **.oo(~*~)oo.**

"You see a little distracted, Kayuki," Mito walked to her, "Something you wish to divulge between just us women?"

Kayuki looked at Mito and offered her a small smile, "You promise not to say anything? If Tobirama were to hear this, it would upset him greatly."

"You have my word," She smiled back.

Kayuki took a deep breath and closed her eyes as she leaned against the wall of the Senju house, having chosen this place to meet her soon-to-be sister-in-law after being told by Hashirama that he had sent his younger brother to be the leader of a squad on an escort mission out of worry and safety for the particular team joining him. They were young and inexperienced, so he believed placing a seasoned shinobi at the lead would prove to be a positive learning experience along the way.

"It's just..." She paused and tried to settle her thoughts and put the words correctly in order to say aloud, "I feel as though in some ways, I am betraying Madara by marrying Tobirama."

Mito gazed at the younger female with understanding, having been told the entire story by Hashirama after the fight between the two when Madara disappeared.

"Before he became obsessed over what he thought was an unfair level of power between the Senju and Uchiha, he had often asked me my opinion of marriage," Kayuki began, her eyes beginning to glaze over with tears, "To be honest, I never gave it that much thought and would always brush him off because every time he seemed to bring up the subject, he would word it as if neither of us were to take it seriously if you understand what I mean. In a way, he too would brush it off as if it were a fleeting thought.

"Madara always told me that he would have wanted Izuna around to see him take a wife after finally agreeing to peace with the Senju, but I believe that was what caused him to develop his obsessive behavior towards your husbands clan. He would continuously pace in the late hours of the night and mutter to himself even though he was aware that I had been awake and watching him, but he wouldn't settle down. He was restless, and wouldn't take the time to see to his other obligations as clan head.

"Many times I would have to see to it that things ran smoothly. He had given me enough authority to make minor decisions regarding the clan, and often times he would shadow me and see to it that I would fight for a better outcome knowing my relations to Hashirama. It was after the meeting when Tobirama had openly discussed the idea of the police force and assigning those duties to the Uchiha that Madara became distant, and I really do believe that's when he decided that he would try to overthrow the Senju.

"He would constantly bring up the difference in dictatorship and political power between himself and Hashirama when we would speak of anything related to that topic, to the point where it became his constant though. I didn't worry at that time, and now looking back I regret being foolish enough not to see the signs..."

Kayuki sighed heavily and looked down at her feet, not bothering to try and hide her tears as Mito listened and remained silent out of respect.

"I feel as though I am practically to blame for Madara threatening the village and using the Kyuubi to fight against Hashirama," Kayuki finally admitted, "If he had of killed Hashirama... I would have been at fault. I could have stopped him, or at least attempted to had I seen it coming sooner."

Mito frowned and closed the gap between the two, "Nonsense," She quickly enveloped Kayuki into a comforting embrace and began rubbing gentle circles on her back to soothe her, "You cannot think that you are responsible for Madara's own decisions. What he chose had nothing to do with you, and I honestly believe that even though you had good intentions, your influence wouldn't have reached him when he finally decided to execute his plan to try and overthrow Hashirama for the seat as Hokage."

"I know you still harbor feelings for Madara, and that is perfectly human of you," Mito smiled softly as Kayuki pulled away enough to look up at her, "He was your first love and the one who gave you your first glance at life, and you will always have a spot in your heart for him no matter how hard you try to conceal it. Moving on and slowly opening yourself to unconditionally love another isn't a betrayal, it is simply allowing yourself to move on."

"It isn't?" Kayuki sniffled as she rubbed the tears from under her eyes with her hands.

"No," Mito shook her head, "You aren't being selfish, either. It is your hearts way of telling you that you are ready to let Madara go in order to let yourself heal," She eyed the girl carefully as she spoke her next words, "How do you feel when you look into Tobirama's eyes? I want you to think before you speak."

Kayuki did just that, closing her eyes briefly while she took a deep breath.

She recalled the first time she had seen the stoic man's lips pull into the tiniest of smiles, and at that moment, made it her goal to entice a real smile from him. Eventually, the two began going on small outings together, spending more and more time alone as the two grew more find and used to each others presence. It hadn't been long after their first meeting by the lake Kayuki often visits that Tobirama had asked her, albeit awkwardly and in his own special way, to be his lover.

It was the first moment in Kayuki's life that she felt torn between two paths, knowing one way dictated that she remain faithful to Madara and carry on her hopes that he may still be alive somewhere, or allow herself to feel alive once more and see where the development of another relationship would carry her.

There were only two times Kayuki could recall that Tobirama's face lit up in a real smile, and it was during both instances where the words spoken to him were 'yes'.

"How Tobirama makes me feel, huh?" Kayuki once again leaned back against the wall and smiled softly, "Completely different from when I was with Madara," She paused and looked at Mito, "Loved, cherished and allowed to be my own person. Although Tobirama embodies loyalty and isn't an overly emotional individual, he does not hold me back and has slowly opened up and become a more delightful man himself."

Mito smiled at this, "So you can say without hesitation, that you truly love him?"

"Yes," Kayuki looked her in the eyes, "I can, and will say to anyone that I love him and am happy he chose me to be his wife."

"Thank God!"

Both women jolted in shock as they whipped around to see Hashirama with a completely relieved look on his face, "I was praying to the Gods that you weren't having second thoughts!" He walked over to the two and nudged Kayuki with a playful expression, "Lord knows we would have one hell of an unruly, terrifying man to deal with should you ever choose to back down now!"

Both Kayuki and Mito watched him as the man laughed loudly, thoroughly enjoying the fact he would not have to deal with a depressed, angry, and even more serious Tobirama than he already was.

"Hashirama, don't say such things," Mito scolded, "Tobirama isn't as bad as you make him sound."

Hashirama suddenly looked depressed as a dark cloud seemed to hover above him, "You haven't been subjected to his scrutinizing glare and the way he intimidates me into certain decisions."

"You're overreacting," Mito rolled her eyes before looking at Kayuki, "Be thankful Tobirama has a little more control over his emotions, lest he be over-sensitive and flamboyant like his elder brother."

Hashirama let out an indignant sound with a pout while Kayuki giggled, "Oh, you two are adorable."

 **.oo(~*~)oo.**

 _"Hey Kayuki, what do you think of this?"_

 _Kayuki walked over to Madara and peered around him to look at what he had in his hands, noticing he had a stunning piece of white silk cloth that had pink and light blue floweres embroidered on it in his hands._

 _"Wow!" Kayuki stared wide eyed in amazement, "That's absolutely beautiful!"_

 _"I figured you would like this since you seem to lean towards the lighter side," Madara mused, "Shall I buy it for you and have a kimono commissioned for you?"_

 _Kayuki looked up at him and blushed slightly, "You would do that?"_

 _"Of course," He suddenly smirked down at her, "Perhaps it would make a lovely wedding kimono?"_

 _"It would," Kayuki agreed happily before she realized what had been said and sharply looked up at him, "... Madara!"_

 _He chuckled and wrapped an arm around her to pull her close, "Then so shall it be, that you and I will marry."_

 **x - x - x**

 _Madara continued to watch as his fellow clansmen trained, not fully paying attention while his mind wandered elsewhere. Recently he had been too preoccupied with the flux in power between his clan and his rival, the Senju clan. Hashirama had stated that he held the Uchiha in high esteem, willingly giving and bending to Madara's wishes but there were still problems with the order._

 _"Madara," A light voice from behind him pulled his focus away from his men, "You've been standing there for six hours now," Kayuki stood beside him and looked up with a frown, "Is something the matter?"_

 _"Nothing," Madara spared her a glance, "What is it you want?"_

 _Kayuki flinched at his cold tone, "I was just worried."_

 _"Don't be."_

 _"Why don't you ever let me in? You used to speak to me all of the time about everything, personal clan issues," Kayuki sighed and turned on her heel, "You hardly speak to me anymore, and when you do, it's always about the Senju!"_

 _Madara watched her as she continued to speak, her voice shaking with emotions._

 _"What happened to you, Madara?!" Kayuki whipped around with tears streaming down her face, "What happened to the man who agreed to peace with the Senju? The man who had hopes and dreams of helping build this village to make sure no harm would come to the inhabitants?" Her eyes shifted to the side as she suppressed a sob, "What happened to the man I fell in love with?"_

 _Madara continued to eye her before turning his attention away, "You've become to sensitive, Kayuki," He folded his arms across his chest and stared forward, "I have turned you into a soft woman with my kindness."_

 _Kayuki felt a stinging sensation in her chest while she looked up at Madara, before finally resigning to the fact she could not reason with him and turned around to walk away._

 _"If you wish to leave," Madara's voice caused her to freeze in place, "I will not hold it against you. What I am planning to do is a path I do not wish for you to follow me on."_

 _Kayuki took a moment to steady herself before looking over her should at Madara with a longing, desperate look in her eyes before sighing deeply, "If that is what you wish... I'll go."_

 _"It is."_

 _It was that day and that day only, that Madara felt a single tear slide down his cheek as his heart ached in his chest with the sound of her receding steps fading into the distance._

I'm sorry, Kayuki... _Please forgive me._

 **x - x - x**

 _"M-Madara..." Kayuki stared wide eyed as Hashirama walked towards her, his body beat up and weak, "Where is Madara?"_

 _Hashirama looked at her with a sorrowful expression and closed his eyes slowly shaking his head, "I'm sorry... But I... Couldn't convince him to stop fighting, and had no choice," Not being able to look at the woman in front of him he slowly exhaled the breath he hadn't realized he'd been holding, "He didn't make it."_

 _Kayuki's knees suddenly gave out as she dropped to the ground, her wide eyes still staring up at the Hokage in disbelief._

He's gone... He's really gone...

 _"I'm sorry, Kayuki," Hashirama watched her with sadness building up in his own eyes, "I truly am sorry that I couldn't bring him back with me..."_

 _It was if the skies understood her pain, and at that moment, opened up to conceal her tears as the rain began to cry with her._

 **x - x - x**

 _"I don't believe we've been formally introduced," A tall, fair skinned man with light hair and blue armor held his hand out towards her, "I am Hashirama's younger brother, Tobirama Senju. Not that I wish to you use this reference, but we were once allies during times of war even though you and I never actually met."_

 _Kayuki felt her cheeks heat up slightly, "It's nice to meet you, Tobirama," She extended her own hand and gently took his own, "It's a pleasure to meet you. I've heard many stories about you."_

 _His face suddenly fell, "From who?" His shoulders lifted and fell with a sigh as he seemingly read her thoughts, "Ah. If you were told any stories by Hashirama, please disregard what he has told you. He tends to... Over-exaggerate on certain details."_

 _"Oh?" She blinked, "He made you sound rather sweet."_

 _Tobirama stared at her, his eyes concealing slight shock, "I see," He shifted his weight from one to another, "He spoke of you as well."_

 _"He did!" Kayuki gaped, "That man... He can't keep anything to himself, can he?" She shook her heard, "He probably humiliated me."_

 _"Not exactly," Tobirama admitted, "He told me that you were a very bright, charismatic woman who had a kind and loving disposition but that you had one hell of a temper due to your red hair."_

 _Oh that man..._ HASHIRAMA _._

 **x - x - x**

 _"I've noticed something in particular since I arranged it for you to meet Kayuki," Hashirama gave Tobirama a knowing look, "You've been spending every spare moment of your time with her. Any reason why?"_

 _It didn't pass Tobirama's notice that his elder brother had a sudden sparkle in his eye, "If I chose to spend my personal time with Kayuki, that is my choice," His red eyes narrowed slightly, "However, you wish to intrude, don't you?"_

 _"Not intrude," Hashirama smirked, "Coach, perhaps? You seem, as the elder brother, it is my duty to assist my darling little brother with his first real relationship!"_

 _"Hashirama," Tobirama fully glared at his elder brother, "You forget that I am a man, not a boy anymore. I think I can handle this myself," Without a word he began to walk past his brother before muttering, "Besides, I cannot be fully certain that things will head in that direction."_

 _Hashirama watched the younger Senju momentarily before a sly grin crossed his face as he crossed his arms, "Are you by any chance," He leaned closer and tried catch a glimpse of Tobirama's face, "Sulking?"_

 _An indignant snort was the only thing Hashirama heard before Tobirama made his escape, using his his teleportation technique, soon appearing in the wilderness on the outskirts of Konoha. With a sigh of relief, he gave his arms a stretch forward before walking towards the lake just outside of the woods._

 _Much to his surprise, Kayuki was off to the side with a loose kimono on as she ran her fingers through her wet, tousled auburn locks._

 _"Kayuki," Tobirama approached as she looked over to him, "What an unexpected surprise."_

 _With a smile she let her hands drop to her lap, "Hello Tobirama!"_

 _"Am I interrupting anything?"_

 _Kayuki shook her head, "Not at all. I come here often to swim in the lake," She answered him honestly._

 _"I see," He sat down a couple feet away from the girl, "This is a place I come to think."_

 _Her brows furrowed, "Should I take that as my cue to leave?"_

 _"No," He looked at her, "I didn't mean to sound as if I were insinuating anything, I was merely adding to the conversation."_

 _Kayuki's head tilted to the side slightly, "May I ask a question?"_

 _"Of course."_

 _"Do you have a hard time conversing with other people aside from your brother?"_

 _Tobirama looked at her with a curious expression, "What gives you that idea?"_

 _"Just an observation," Kayuki smiled, "You seem to have a hard time with words when they're not in regards to work or the village."_

 _There was a sudden thoughtful, fleeting twitch of his mouth that Kayuki thought she'd caught the reflection of the sun in her eyes._ A smile _, no matter how tiny it had been, it had still been the first time she had the privilege to witness the handsome Senju before her smile._

 **x - x - x**

 _"You know you didn't have to come with me," Kayuki looked up at Tobirama as the two walked together through the streets of Konoha, "I_ am _a big girl you know, but I do appreciate the company while I shop."_

 _"It's my pleasure," Tobriama looked down at the Otokagami woman, "I was lucky to have caught you before you left your home."_

 _Kayuki giggled, "Well, you did tell me that you were coming to see me," She looked around and eventually lead him towards a small clothing boutique, "Is there anything you wanted to talk about? You looked as though you were on a mission when you stopped me."_

 _Tobirama watched her as she looked through the different clothing, his arms crossed over his chest while citizens walked around them whispering comments to one another, "It would be more suitable to be in private before I bring up the topic I wished to discuss, however I would like to assure you that it is of no importance," He was able to bluntly pass off the topic without meeting her eyes._

 _"You can't tell me now?" Kayuki looked back at him with curious eyes._

 _"It wouldn't be appropriate," His eyes scanned around them and noticed several people had gathered around to observe the pair, murmuring some nonsense about Tobirama that he paid no particular attention to, "Not when there are people around who would be more than happy to listen."_

 _Kayuki looked around and felt her cheeks heat up as she finally noticed the small gathering the two had acquired, "Hmm, I suppose you're right," She turned around and followed Tobirama as he lead her to a small shop that sold all types of fruits and vegetables, "I'll make this quick so we can head home."_

 **x - x - x**

 _Tobirama, the stoic, observatory and level-headed Senju had never given thought to how difficult it would be to vocally expel words of affection to the girl standing before him, her blue eyes gazing up at him with expectation._

 _He had brought them to the spot the two always seemed to meet, standing beside the calm lake while the leaves danced in the wind to (thankfully) dull the silence and ease the awkwardness beginning to surround the two. It was the way Kayuki looked up at him that seemed to choke up his words, making it difficult to dislodge them from the back of his throat._

 _"Are you alright, Tobirama?" Her brows furrowed._

 _The man felt desperate for the first time since the warring ages when he was but a child, and it made him feel vulnerable. He, who usually was collected and rather organized with his ways, was becoming undone in nothing short of the moment he'd stood in front of her to confess his feelings._

 _Kayuki could sense the tension radiating off of the Senju in waves, making her worry that perhaps she should convince him to meet with her another time. To her, the expression in his wine colored eyes told her that this was something that needed more thought, just maybe, needed more time to consider really telling her._

 _To her, this was a manner of importance concerning the village, due to his tense posture and the way his fists clenched the fabric covering his arms while crossed over his chest._

 _Tobirama inhaled deeply before looking out to the water as if to use it as his focal point, "Do you know why I chose this place to be the spot where I come to think?" He could hear her clothing rustle as she shifted to better look at him, "It is tranquil and beautiful, a place to bring your mind to total peace."_

 _A delicate auburn brow rose, but she made no comment and continued to listen._

 _"I suppose I asked you to follow me here because I knew this would be the only place you and I would go unnoticed and undisturbed," He began, "What I wished to speak to you about..."_

 _Again, his composure seemed to slip and she could see for an instant, an insecurity about him that lay deep below the stone wall he always kept up._

 _"Tobirama..." She started but was quickly silenced by his hand raising to her._

 _He let out a deep sigh, "This is something I need to say, Kayuki," His eyes closed and he thought over his words once more before finally deciding to blurt them out in a fashion more like his elder brother would, "I have feelings for you."_

 _Kayuki's face burned red as he spoke, "What?"_

 _"I would not say I am in love," He couldn't bring himself to look at her just yet, "But this is most likely the closest I have ever come to it in my years, and now, I honestly don't know what to do now that you know."_

 _Instead of the momentary lapse of silence he thought she would go through to process his words, he felt a hand gently close around the top of his arm that pulled his attention from the lake to blue eyes immediately._

 _She had a kind smile on her face, not a a face of shock and loss of words like he had expected._

 _"Is this your way of asking me to be your lady?" Kayuki couldn't help but ask, knowing Tobirama was already under a lot of pressure after finally releasing a barrier and exposing his true feelings to her, "Because if it is, you never needed to ask. You should know my answer was always a 'yes'."_

 _Tobirama stared down at the woman who had her hand on his arm and fell short of words._

 _Deciding to try action rather than embarrass himself with a mixture of stuttered words he knew (but would not allow) would spill from his lips, his arms unfolded from his chest and slowly wrapped around the girl in a gentle manner bringing her close to his chest. At his advance, he felt her own arms wrap around his torso and her face rest against the top of his chest with a light sigh of content._

 _He held her there for what seemed like hours, enjoying the feel of her warmth against his body as the two remained in a now comfortable silence._

 **x - x - x**

 _"Well, well, well," The voice of Hashirama rang out from behind him as Tobirama's posture went rigid, "What do we have here? I didn't think you fancied flowers, brother."_

 _When the younger of the two turned around to face the other, Tobirama instantly regretted it due to the obvious look on Hashirama's knowing face. His eyes were slightly narrowed giving him_ that look _, while a grin stretched wide on his features._

 _"So you finally manned up and did it?" Hashirama dropped a hand on his brother's shoulder, "I'm proud of you, Tobirama. I couldn't have pictured a better woman for you than her!"_

 _Tobirama fought fiercely with the tingling sensation that threatened to burn his cheeks a light red at his brother's words, feeling as though he were a child under Hashirama's gaze, "Brother," He warned, but was quickly silenced._

 _"It was only a matter of time, I know," Hashirama ignored the threatening glare Tobirama was now giving him as he looked over the flowers displayed himself, pondering on what to bring his own lover back as a surprise, "If you're looking to compliment her, bring her something to contrast either her red hair, or those ocean blue eyes of her," He reached forward to pull out of a stunning exotic emerald colored flower for his inspection, "These are usually the ones I bring in a mixture with white roses for Mito, to compliment her own ruby locks. Try to go with what you can work with, brother."_

 _Tobirama stared at him as he watched the man ask the middle-aged Yamanaka woman tending to the shop to put together his usual bouquet for Mito, who happily complied and quickly assembled a stunning arrangement._

 _"Good luck, brother," Hashirama grinned as he passed his younger sibling, bouquet in hand, leaving him to his own devices, "Whatever it is you choose, I'm sure she will love it."_

 _There was silence before the Yamanaka woman's voice brought his attention to her, "So the rumors are true, then," She smiled happily, "You have finally settled with Kayuki."_

 _"Just what do you mean by––"_

 _She shot him a playful grin, "It isn't exactly a secret that you are in love with Kayuki Otokagami," He watched her as she walked around and plucked specific flowers from their displays, "Allow me to put together a special selection, seeing as how you seem at a loss on what to get for her."_

 _He felt all of the protests die in his throat, knowing that the shopkeeper would know how to handle this situation better than he himself. Hashirama's words ran through his mind once more as he looked around, telling himself that he should put some form of personal touch to the gift he was bringing for Kayuki, when his eyes landed on a particular blue flower._

 _His eyes scanned the informative card in front of the display, telling him that they were exotic lilies from outside of the Land of Fire._

 _A striking blue that would rival the color of waves, they would surely match the color of her eyes._

 _"Ah, so you decided on those as well," She walked up beside him and plucked several out, "I was hoping you would notice these."_

 _Tobirama watched her as she took the collected bundle in her hands and worked her magic, producing a beautiful arrangement before placing them in decorative wrapping, "Good luck!"_

 **x - x - x**

 _Kayuki stared down at Tobirama with wide eyes and her jaw slack, "Did you just..."_

 _He asked_ me _to_ marry him _._

TOBIRAMA _asked me to_ MARRY _him._

 _"I know it may seem rather fast, but I am willing to admit that I have come to the decision that I cannot wait any longer," Tobirama looked into her eyes, "I am in love with you, and wish to marry you."_

 _Kayuki smiled bright and felt her eyes tear up as she reached towards him instead of the bouquet of flowers that had been offered to him, "Do you remember what I said to you the day you asked me to date you?" She slowly dropped down on her knees in front of him and held his face so that his full attention was on her, "It's always been a yes, Tobirama."_

 _She said_ yes _._

 **.oo(~*~)oo.**

It was on the day of the wedding that Kayuki felt the most regret welling inside of her, that dark part of her heart saved for _him_ telling her that she was making a mistake. Pushing those feeling aside, she tried as hard as she could to put the thoughts of Madara aside as she gave her head a shake.

"It will only be harder to walk down that isle if you keep thinking of him," Kayuki told herself, "Pull it together Kayuki... Come on."

Inhaling deeply, she looked at her reflection in the mirror and smiled small.

Her auburn hair was curled to perfection and pinned back only to fully reveal her face, which was dabbed with only a light amount of products, mostly around her eyes, to accentuate the fairness of her skin and the deep undercurrent of the ocean in her eyes. The kimono was a stunning mixture of colors ranging from blues and greens, to the navy and purples that donned her own clans heritage as well as the Senju. She was fully representing the two clans as they were about to be united forever.

"Are you ready, Lady Kayuki?" A voice from behind drew her attention away from her reflection as she nodded, "Alright, lets go get you wed!"

Kayuki followed several of Mito's lady's maids out and eventually came to a small door where everyone was waiting for her outside. Hashirama and Mito had chosen a spot where Tobirama and Kayuki would be married in the open, but still have the privacy of a wall and protection in case of an emergency.

Tobirama had mentioned earlier to his elder brother that it was of smart thinking to hold the ceremony where it was chosen, pleasing Hashirama extremely.

"Here we go," One of the women said with a smile, "You look absolutely beautiful, my lady."

Kayuki felt her cheeks heat up as she looked forward, eyes hungrily taking in everything as the door opened to reveal happy faces of those invited to the wedding. There were Senju members, her remaining Otokagami members, as well as several other noble clans including the Uchiha and Hyuuga. She walked up the isle and returned the smiles of those who were watching her, before she reached the front and finally looked up at Tobirama.

He was stunning, even as the sun shined from behind him to give his snowy locks an appearance of a halo above his head. He wore a traditional wedding kimono with the Senju colors on the top, and his hair was framed around his face without the help of his usual forehead piece to hold it all back. Standing off to the side, Kayuki noted that Hashirama was expressing more than enough glee for the both of them, having similar attire and a mesmerizing bright and proud grin on his face.

It didn't take long for the whole ceremony to pass by, with the two saying their vows and participating in a Senju ritual to bind the Otokagami clan to theirs forever. Behind them, the pair could hear soft cheers during the drinking of the chalices and only after their sealing kiss, did the entire audience burst into life.

"Congratulations!" Hashirama beamed, pulling Kayuki into a one-armed hug before grabbing his brother before the younger Senju could protest, "And you! You're married now!"

Mito stood beside Kayuki and smiled as the two girls watched the exchange of aggravated looks countered by a teasing smirk. Hashirama was on the edge of his mirth at the fact his brother, who had pledged to never marry, was now with the one woman they all knew could handle him and perhaps aid to bring down the stone walls Tobirama spent his entire life putting up.

"Hashirama," Mito took his hand gently and began guiding him away from a less-than-impressed Tobirama, "Let the two newly weds enjoy themselves and give them a few moments of peace, will you?"

Protesting loudly, Hashirama eventually let Mito lead him away only to shoot a knowing wink over his shoulder to the two before he and his wife disappeared from sight.

Tobirama released the breath he realized he'd been holding and looked at his beautiful bride, "How are you feeling?"

"I was nervous at first, but now I'm just glad we aren't being watched by half of the village," Kayuki smiled up at him as Tobirama took both of her hands in his own, "You seem calm considering you detest being the center of attention."

He gave a slight shrug of his shoulders as he ran his thumbs along the soft flesh of Kayuki's hands, "I was more preoccupied looking at my beautiful wife to notice them," He admitted, causing a light blush to dust her cheeks, "Shall we go to our usual spot for some privacy?"

Behind them, all of the cheering for the newly wedded couple began to dissipate as they all moved to the streets of Konoha to continue the celebration.

"I suppose we could, since they're doing a fine job of celebrating for both of us combined?" Kayuki giggled.

Tobirama flashed one of his rare smirks before he scooped the woman up in his arms, securing her against his chest with one arm and holding her legs up by the back her knees before they disappeared from their hiding spot. Soon, they appeared in the forest beside their usual spot on the lake side, as he walked over and gently set her down on a small blanket he had already laid out in preparation before the actual wedding began.

Kayuki's eyes went wide as she took in the view, enjoying the stunning reflection of the moon hitting the water while the breeze gently played with her long auburn locks. Tobirama had outdone himself, setting a small romantic spot beside the lake with a few lit candles and a stunning arrangement of exotic flowers in a crystal vase beside a small plate with her very favorite dessert.

"Tobirama..." Kayuki was at a loss for words, "How did you know I enjoyed the simple things in life?"

He didn't miss the admiration in her voice, "I know my wife does not like to be overly spoiled and appreciates the little gestures," He reached up to stroke her cheek gently, "Was I not allowed to prepare something special for our evening together?"

"Of course you were!" Her ocean blue eyes stared into his red ones, "It's perfect, thank you so much."

He leaned down and captured her lips in a gentle kiss, all of the feelings of hesitation gone as she ran her fingers through his snowy locks, kissing him back with equal affection.

"Mito confessed to me that Hashirama has high expectations for a nephew," Kayuki said in between bites of the sweet pastry, "She told me to warn you before he started dropping hints."

Tobirama rolled his eyes, "Hashirama has been wanting a nephew long before I asked for your hand in marriage, so that doesn't surprise me."

"You know," She suddenly had a sly look on her face, "You're actually using a normal tone and having a regular conversation with me. I'm proud of you!"

She saw the tiniest jut of his bottom lip as he stared at her with an incredulous look on his face, "Of course I would speak to you as normal. You are my wife, not my subordinate."

"Good," She quickly pecked his cheek, "I was beginning to worry."

Tobirama shook his head with a tiny smile, "You're going to keep me on my toes, aren't you?"

"I have no choice now!" She gave him a serious look, "Can't have you turning into a mush when you still have shinobi to command!"

"I know how to separate myself," He leaned forward and placed a chaste kiss to her forehead, "I save that part of myself for you and you alone."

Meanwhile, as the couple continued to exchange gentle and affectionate gestures before Tobirama used his teleportation technique to whisk her away to enjoy the fruits of their marriage together as one, a pair of red eyes watched from an unknown location with a tight expression on his face.

Madara placed his hands on his knees before pushing himself off the large rock he had been sitting on and turned around to leave, having seen enough to conclude that Kayuki was in fact happy and she would remain safe despite the fact she was married to _him_ of all people, the man who took his brother's life. Despite that angering factor, Madara felt a sudden rush of reassurance flow through him.

She would always be his Kayuki, even now as she was being loved by another.

Knowing this would be the last time he would venture so close to the Hidden Leaf during this lifetime, he looked back over his shoulder to the spot the couple had been just seconds ago before disappearing in a cloud of smoke.

* * *

 **DONE. -wipes sweat off forehead-**

 **You guys have no idea how many times I re-wrote this bloody chapter. Holy man, it was a difficult time.**

 **So, I know what you all may be thinking and yes, it had been part of the plan all along to have Tobirama have interactions with our darling Kayuki, however it was my lovely requestee that made the final decision to have her marry him while Madara watched.**

 **I know some of you may also be thinking how cruel it would be for Madara to watch the woman he was in love with marry the man he detested, but the main idea for that was because he would not see her with Hashirama due to the fact the Hokage was already wed to Mito Uzumaki, Madara figured if she were to marry into any family, the Senju would be the best choice aside from his own Uchiha due to Hashirama being the only man to ever defeat him in battle.**

 **It was really all for Kayuki's safety, although you don't realize it until the very end. :)**

 **Anyways, I'm hoping whoever was reading this was happy with how things turned out! I am actually quite pleased with it myself and will be looking forward to my darling requestee, Stupor, to finally read this and give me her honest opinion. She did not want to begin reading until I was ready to post this chapter, so I'm assuming within the next few hours (she binge reads like I do) there will be an anonymous comment with her comment and opinion. :)**

 **I love you all so very much, and thank each and every one of you who gave this lovely experience a chance! Never did I ever imagine I would be writing a story with Madara Uchiha, even though I personally love that man's character.**

 **Up next, was a requested story with Izuna Uchiha by a reader who asked me to use the alias "Maryellen S.", so I'm super duper excited to start that one! I feel as though Izuna never got a chance to really shine and come into his character, so I'm going to have fun incorporating my own ideas into his handsome little person. That short story will be set to begin in just another few days, as I usually give requested pieces priority over my own works so stay tuned! ;)**

 **~ K.**


	5. Epilogue

**OKAY OKAY OKAY, since I got yelled at via text message as well as a review from my darling requestee... HERE'S YOUR DAMN EPILOGUE! LOOL**

 **Thank you to my lovely reviewers who DIDN'T yell at me like a certain Stupor did... That was very nice of you guys ven if you were unhappy with the ending!**

 **Also a big thank you to everyone who liked and favorited the story! I appreciate it all! :)**

 **Also, I only had the chance to do a quick read through to catch any of my mistakes so if there is still some left... Welcome to my work! LOOL**

 **-is the queen of procrastination when it comes to editing- :D**

 **WARNING: Madara is slightly OOC in this, but don't worry, if I were to continue this it would only be leading up to his usual schemes so please don't forget that tidbit! ;)**

* * *

 **Memories**

 _ **Epilogue**_

* * *

 _Why does everyone keep dying around me?_

Hiruzen, having been appointed as the Third Hokage by Tobirama himself, stood beside Kayuki as she sat in front of her deceased husbands grave. It had been just a day shy of a full month since the incident happened, and every night she would sit in front of the stone for hours just staring as if she were lost in thought.

Even though he was a lot younger than she was, he still understood what the loss of a loved one truly was and felt sympathy towards Kayuki.

"You can't blame yourself for what happened, Kayuki," Hiruzen heaved a sigh, "This routine you have is unhealthy and you'll end up in the hospital with more than just a cold, so why don't we go and enjoy a cup of tea and talk?"

Kayuki slowly shook her head, "No thank you, I'd rather stay here," Her eyes began to burn with tears, "I don't want to get close to anyone else."

"Close?" Hiruzen looked down at her, "So that's how you feel?"

The once fierce Otokagami heiress hugged her knees closer to her chest and sighed softly, "It's like everyone around me disappears after there is a moment of happiness," She paused and finally looked up at the Third with reddened eyes, "First what was left of my clan, then Madara, and now Tobirama..."

"Kayuki," He frowned, "Like I said, you can' blame yourself for the events that have passed," He placed a comforting hand on the girl's shoulder and squeezed slightly, "We live in a world where our profession limits our lives and we willingly face death and all that comes with it. As for Madara, you know that it was only a matter of time."

Kayuki felt a jab at her heart from his words, "I know..." She looked back at the tombstone, "It took a long time for me to admit that even if I had stayed against his will, there was nothing I could have done to stop him."

"Well, at least your conscience is clear of that," Hiruzen said, "Now, about that cup of tea?"

Kayuki looked up at him once more with a small smile, "Thank you, really, but I have to decline."

"Alright," He gave up, pulling his hand away from her shoulder and turned around, "Should you feel the need to talk, you know where to find me. I will make myself available from my schedule if you need me."

"Thank you," Kayuki nodded, "I appreciate the thought and the kindness."

Hiruzen said no more and soon, Kayuki was left alone in the cemetery.

When the ANBU had retrieved Tobirama's body, it had already been two days that Hiruzen took the seat of Hokage. Kayuki had known deep down that when the group returned without him, that he was gone but grief wouldn't allow her to admit it out loud. Even after his death, she remained in the Senju house. For five days she didn't allow anyone to see her while she silently mourned his death on her own, when finally Hiruzen sent in two ANBU to retrieve her.

When they found Kayuki, she was curled up against the wall looking out the window with a blanket wrapped around herself. She hadn't eaten since she returned to the Senju house, so they immediately rushed her Konoha's hospital to have her examined. It took a week before Kayuki was finally given the affirmative to be allowed outside by herself, with the doctors and nurses knowing she was finally back on a regular eating regiment and that she was no threat to her own life.

After being released from the hospital, Kayuki would often find herself standing in front of the grave that was made for Tobirama, who had been buried beside his elder brother with his own tombstone of pristine design. She would allow her fingers to glide over the smooth stone and invision what Tobirama would say if he caught he there reminiscing about the past.

It was the questions of what could have, should have or not have's that began to bombard Kayuki after the fourth day of her venturing out to sit in front of his grave.

Night settled in it's cold bed again as Kayuki shifted against the ground that she was currently sitting on. Deciding she wanted some privacy, the Otokagami heiress eventually left the graveyard for the night and wandered the empty streets of Konoha. Her blue eyes were dull and lifeless, causing whispers from passing civilians or receiving looks from curious children she'd once given a brilliant smile to.

Shop owners and students would often stop her and ask her if she needed anything, or offer their condolences to her with a hand opening to give her full support. Kayuki would kindly deny any and all offers, continuing to walk away as a lifeless soul with no destination.

 _My clan has been decimated from the war that had just passed, and now I've no husband nor a real place to call my home._

Kayuki continued to walk through Konoha until her feet carried her just outside the village, to which she immediately recognized as the Uchiha compound. A fluttery sensation welled up in the very pits of her stomach as a wave of nostalgia washed over her. It felt like any other time when she would come to these very gates, seeing her tall, dark knight leaning against the wall waiting for her.

Kayuki looked up to the entrance and bit her lip as her glassy eyes played tricks on her, showing her the vision of Madara smirking at her before telling her she was late once again.

"Kayuki, is that you?"

Kayuki jumped in surprise as she whipped around towards the sound of a small voice, and found standing behind her, was Nanase Uchiha.

She offered him a small, soft smile, "Hello Nanase. Just getting back from the academy?"

"Yes," He smiled back, "It's late. Are you coming for dinner?"

Kayuki shook her head, "No, I was just passing through."

"Mom is worried about you," Nanase confessed, "She says that you've been really depressed lately."

She felt her heart stop and sighed, turning to face the young boy before kneeling down in front of him with a sad smile.

"I won't try to deny the fact that I've been upset," Kayuki began, "But really, no one needs to worry about me. I'll be fine, promise!"

Nanase grinned and nodded, "Okay! Oh, before I forget," His eyes went wide as he clenched his fists, "Dad told me that Fugaku and Mikoto are having a baby!"

"Really?" Kayuki blinked, "That was quick. Weren't they just recently married?"

Nanase shrugged and tosses his hands behind his head in a relaxed posture, "Yeah but, mom says that they're like bunnies... Whatever that means."

"... You may not want to be repeating that too much, Nanase," Kayuki deadpanned, however expecting no less from his mother.

"I should get home," Nanase suddenly said and smiled, "I'll tell mom that I saw you and that you'll come by sometime!"

Kayuki nodded and stood up, watching as the young Uchiha boy ran into the compound with a bright smile on his face. She couldn't help but shake her head, envying the blissful ignorance that he was currently allowed to feel instead of the suffering she had been tormented by for so long.

Deciding to avoid running in to another one of the Uchiha, Kayuki took the long way around the entire compound and headed towards the mountains. _Man, I'm really out of shape lately!_ She could have cursed herself for thinking it a good idea back when she was at the bottom, but now halfway up the side of a cliff, she found herself in a predicament that left her with no other choice but to either go up or let go and fall.

"Damn it," Kayuki felt the tiny rocks digging into her fingertips as she gripped hard into the wall, "Why did you go and do this to yourself, Kayuki? Are you asking for a death wish?!"

Groaning loudly with an aggravated pull from the back of her throat, Kayuki pushed herself to keep climbing until eventually, she reached the top as the moon hit the center of the sky. With one more heave, she tossed her body up over the ledge and quickly rolled away from the sharp descent and breathed heavily. She lay on her back with her arms and legs stretched out and closed her eyes, enjoying the cool breeze and the sounds of nature while she remained there in silence.

Eventually fatigue started wearing her down and she felt the gentle tug of sleep pulling her towards a dark oblivion.

"I was wondering how long it would be before you finally discovered your inner strength," A voice from behind the trees spoke, "Instead of this pathetic, depressive female I know you not to be."

 _That voice..._

"You shouldn't be here," The voice said as it grew closer and closer, but still Kayuki couldn't open her eyes, "Although, seeing you here now is a relieving sight."

Kayuki willed her body to move to reduce the strain of fatigue and finally, ever so slowly, her eyes opened to reveal a shadowy figure with long, thick black hair draped over her. The strangers face, hidden by the light of the moon, was obscured due to the shadows cast from his long tresses, but she could still see his eyes.

 _It can't be..._ Kayuki blinked several times to adjust her sight to the lack of natural light.

"Madara?" She reached a hand up slowly and hesitantly, her fingertips reaching towards the dark figure hovering above her, "Is that you?"

Madara allowed the contact, reveling in the feeling of her gentle touch against his face as her fingers traced along his sharp-cut jawline. He watched an array of emotions flood through her oceanic blues all at once, preparing himself for her tears.

They never came.

Suddenly, he was enveloped in warm, trembling arms as Kayuki drew herself as close as possible to him. He could feel her shoulders shaking as she fought against the sobs wracking through her body, her face buried deep in his ebony locks inhaling his scent while her hands clenched the black fabric of his clothing. Her arms would tighten when he would shift, not wanting to let him go in fear of him disappearing from her once again.

"They said you died!" Kayuki whispered so low, Madara struggled to hear her voice, "Hashirama... He said you died... And I..."

"Kayuki," Madara looked down at her, his hands slowly reaching up to touch her, "Look at me."

She did just that, only pulling away from him enough to look up at him. His face was no longer obscured by his unruly black mane, and she could finally make out the details clearly.

He looked as though he was mentally exhausted and hadn't had much sleep due to the dark circles under his eyes. His complexion was a lot more pale then she remembered, and his cheeks were beginning to sink in slightly due to lack of nutrition. Even now as she held her body close to him, she could tell he lacked the muscle mass from before and had dropped some weight.

"What happened to you?" Kayuki frowned, reaching up to cup his cheek gently, "Where did you go when Hashirama defeated you?"

Madara's eyes narrowed at the memory, "I made my escape through the forest not too far away from the valley where Hashirama and I clashed," Out of habit, he began running his fingers through her long auburn locks, "He had been too preoccupied with watching the Kyuubi run off to notice I had escaped, but I had not gotten too far before my body collapsed."

"You've been in the woods the entire time?" Kayuki seemed shocked, "But I couldn't sense your presence."

Madara shifted and slowly stood up as he pulled her with him, "I made it passed the boarders between what is now known as the land of Rivers, where I have created a hideout for myself and another subordinate."

Kayuki continued to stare up at him and nodded slowly.

"I was here watching when you married _him_ ," Madara never looked at her.

Her stomach dropped, "Madara... I–"

"Despite my hatred for that clan," He interrupted her, "I suppose I am partially to blame for your decisions to move forward, although I never expected you to marry into the Senju clan."

"It was Hashirama's idea," Kayuki looked away, "He thought that if I was introduced to his little brother and could find a commonality, that we would be suited for each other."

"Which you did."

"Yes," Kayuki felt her stomach do flops, "That day, when he and I were married..." She felt tears sting at her eyes, "I couldn't stop thinking about you, or how I was betraying you... Mito came to console me on several occasions, but it was hard. I'm sorry," Her eyes closed as she waiting for her reprimanding, but it never came.

Madara finally looked down at her and observed her, "You would have chosen me above him, despite my harsh and aggressive behavior towards you?"

Kayuki nodded without hesitation, "Yes, in a heartbeat."

She could feel his chest rumbling with a deep chuckle, "Of course," She felt his hands push her towards him and once she was flush against his chest he locked her in place with his arms, "I should have come back for you instead of letting that Senju bastard taint my fiery temple with his pathetic water."

Kayuki felt her cheeks heat up, "Madara?"

"Will you come with me?" His eyes locked on hers as he pinned her there, "Abandon the village and come with me to the hideout, and we will live the remainder of this life the way we always wanted."

 _Abandon the village? What about Hiruzen... He's still so young and needs guidance._

"Madara," She reached up and placed both hands on either side of his face, "Do you know what you're asking me to do?"

He nodded, "I do, and I ask this because I love you," Her heart fluttered, "I came back here for you, Kayuki. I need you to come with me so I can finally relax and be at peace."

Madara leaned down and captured her lips in a delightfully fiery kiss that brought the passion they once shared from years ago back to life. She could feel the familiar feeling in her core burn with desire as she laced her fingers through his mane to draw him closer while his arms tightened their hold around her middle.

 _Forgive me, Hiruzen..._

Once they pulled away, Kayuki nodded her answer and circled her arms around his neck, "I'll go wherever you want me to go, Madara."

"So then," His tone was somewhat amused, "You feel no pain or regret leaving behind the village and your former lover?"

Kayuki didn't fail to notice the emphasis on his final word and shook her head, "Tobirama was my husband, but it was you all this time that I wished had been laying in my marriage bed instead of him," She finally admitted aloud, "It was a sadness of being alone that was harder to handle than his death, but nothing in comparison to when I thought I'd lost you."

Madara, seemingly happy with her answer, released her body before scooping her up in his arms with a firm grip behind her knees and back. He looked down at her once more to take in her features, noticing the redness in her eyes had begun to vanish and her expression brightened significantly.

"Very well then," He captured her lips for a quick kiss, "To our new life, my beautiful queen."

* * *

 **HAPPY NOW, STUPOR?! HMM? _HMMMMMMMMMMMM?_ I HOPE YOU ARE! -shakes fist-**

 **So, the ending was kind of shitty, but I don't really do good at sappy or happy endings so please spare this insignificant writer!**

 **Again, like I said above, I appreciate any and all reviews and favorites! You guys as readers mean so much to me, it's unreal! :)**

 **Anywhoo, I hope you enjoyed the FINAL (AND I MEAN IT STUPOR) chapter to this small series!**

 **I love you all so very much and look forward to seeing you in any other works I post! :)**

 **~ K.**


End file.
